[chris vickery]

I hear what you are saying Jordan but I will add my 2 cents...
I am all for originality, those of you who know me know that my restos are done in as correct a fashion as possible.
That being said, I would sooner see something "on the road" vs sitting in the barn if it was a case of $$$. Too many restoration projects end up spending most of their life in the shop while a guy gets around to doing all the things to make it right, if ever. Many times a well intended project goes awry after a long period of idle time.
I would hazard a guess in saying that worldwide, there are probably more carriers running with non-original engines than original.
I think many guys over the years seen how finicky the flathead is and I could actually see the use of a small 4 or 6 cylinder engine out of anything else used instead. We all know how flatty dizzys and coils like to be...
Truth is, small block engines are quite readily available and many time for cheap if not for free, especially if a guy has a project that is being upgraded (hotrod).