Year/Model Preference

[Bob Mulica]

1963 S90 vs 1964 SC. Not sure which year to buy. Is there any decided advantage to buying one year versus the other? Or just personal preference.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
Bob
GOD BLESS AMERICA

[Steve Hatfield]

If you get 100 replies, 50 will favor one over the other. But here's my opinion.

I vote for the S90 because:
More rare (that's my assumption)
I prefer the earlier history of the super 90.
Assuming coupe, I prefer the earlier dash layout.
The Maestro would have voted the S90 as well.

But their's the down side to my vote:
Drum brakes
Slightly less power
Harder to find main bearings

But I still prefer the s90 and I've had both.

Steve

[Bob Mulica]

Steve,
Thanks for the info. Hopefully the mains won't ever be an issue.
I'm not sure the discs are truly that important unless you're really
pushing the car and I wouldn't anticipate doing that. Thanks again
for the input.

[Mike Kieley]

On strictly practical note, the SC is likely to hold its value and show better appreciation.

[Dick Weiss]

Bob,

The SC w/disc brakes, slight increase w/HP, and all-around performance + creature comforts would be OK, but OEM SC engines had 9.5 to 1 compression which needed
premium gas--the 9 to 1 comp. S90 gets by w/plus gas. Both need to stay w/in their rev range to keep 'em happy if they're in still stock configuration.
However, the 9.5 P/Cs are no longer available since the 912s were lessened to 9.3 to 1 P/C unless you get aftermarket kits including B/bore P/Cs--& other mods.

Dick

[Roy Lock]

I currently own 2 S90's. One totally stock and another I have modified with a SCAT crank.
S90 cranks are hard to find these days. Most of the surviving S90 cranks are well worn. You can still find SC, C, and 912 cranks for SC engines. Of course you can always install an aftermarket crank in any engine.
I like the S9 200mm lightweight flywheel.
For normal driving, drum brakes are as good as disc.

[Vic Skirmants]

SC WAY better than any S-90; period.
You want my biased opinion. just ask.
The basic difference is the cylinder heads. That's where the S-90 falls flat, and is usually
a S-85; if you're lucky.
Main problem with S-90 heads, is that they are basically standard heads with a bigger port and bigger intake valves.
Let's start with the ports; they hogged out the ports for the bigger manifolds; then depending on who did the hogging, they either did a good job on the inner radius, or they didn't. That is the critical part of the port in a 356 head.
Next problem; 40mm intake valve, open the seat to a larger diameter all the way. Lose the flow velocity, and you get poor cylinder filling.
Our race heads use the later C,SC, or 912 heads. We open the seat to 40mm, BUT leave the bottom of the seat alone! Makes a nice venturii.

[Jon Bunin]

You want my biased opinion. just ask.
The basic difference is the cylinder heads. That's where the S-90 falls flat, and is usually a S-85; if you're lucky.

Vic! I would respectfully disagree that factory S90's did not produce 90 hp DIN, if that's what you're implying. The engine was produced for 4 years, all with the same cylinder head chamber, valves and valve gear, piston dome, camshaft and carburetors. They ran-in all new engines on a dynamometer. Would the factory lie for 4 years, and make no attempt to improve the situation? I agree the C/SC head is a better design, but in maximum power the S90 engine was not far off from an SC, and believe factory numbers were honest. I believe the SC also had a slight advantage in mid-range power.

Respectfully, a Super 90 owner :b

[Roy Smalley]

The only "real" difference is disc vs drum brakes. Personally I like and want a 62 S-90 (have 4 C/SC cpes) since that was my first, so from an appearance stand point I think, the drum brake car wins hands down, particularly without hubcaps. If you are going BTTWall in the stopping department, discs are somewhat better, but really, it should only matter to guys like Vic who has one speed, fast.

Numbers matching SC's and S-90 cars are hard to find. They were I think, the lowest production engine in each year, and the S-90's were kinda prone to blow up as were the SC's, limiting the numbers of matching cars.

Back in the day I put 100,000 miles on my first car changed the oil and I might have adjusted the valves three times (Dieter in SanDiego twice when I still had hair) plugs and points a few more times, but just drove the wheels of with NO failures.

What does matter is, which is the best car for the money and the one that makes your grin the biggest.

[Martin Benade]

Another vote for drum brakes without hubcaps- that makes the S90 a superior car.

[Ron LaDow]

but really, it should only matter to guys like Vic who has one speed, fast.

Gonna disagree in that I'm nowhere near Vic-fast, but a ride from, say Ukiah over the coast range to Mendocino means a lot of 15% grades.
On the downhill runs, any throttle at all means a LOT of brake for the next turn. Even discs start smelling ugly and acting soft before the valley floor and drums went south. So I was a regular customer at EASY for disc conversion 'kits' when I bought drum-brake cars

[Kevin Wills]

I like the B dash better than the C dash, just personal preference. My 62 S90 was converted to disc brakes, so I no longer run drums, and I will be putting SC heads with S90 intake valves on while the car is down. I guess at that point it'll almost be more C than B, but that's OK by me.

[Craig Richter]

IMHO cruzin' the Alps/Rockies on warm, sunny summer afternoons in a top-down '59 Cabriolet...THAT WOULD BE HEAVEN, and whatever sort-comings you might assign this under-powered, under-braked, but most beautiful choice, they would be insignificant compared to those glorious summer afternoons...

OK, maybe next winter we'll hop her up a little...disks, alu wheels, big bore, C heads...now she's perfect!

[Kevin Wills]

Right on, Craig! For sure the A's are the most beautiful. Making lemonade with my T-6 B.

[Russ Myers]

I like the SC myself. Rumor has it, that there is a bit more horsepower. I like horsepower. And the way I drive pretty much anything, disc brakes are in my best interest.