Does anyone here know much about Ford Big Blocks

[JROC]

I've been doing a little research and was wondering which series of Ford BB do y'all think is better for modding? The old FE, or the 385 series.

The FE series includes a 332, 352, 360, 361, 390, 406, 410, the kick ass 427 side oilers with cross bolt mains(there was even a top oiler version, and the SOHC 427 Cammer was based off the 427 side oiler block), and the 428 with Cobra Jet, Police Interceptor, and Super Cobra Jet versions avalible. If you put a 428 crank in a 427 block you will come up with 454 ci of displacement.

Check out this link on the 427 Cammer motor. What an awesome motor. It has one wild looking timing chain route and appartently the only problem the engine ever had was the timing chain could stretch with high RPM use and throw the timing off some.
http://www.geocities.com/infieldg/v8sohc427.html

The 385 series(which gets its name from the length of its stroke) includes a 370, 429 with Cobra Jet and Super Cobra Jet version avalible, and 460. You could also order a 512 from SVO.

Y'all have heard of a Boss 429 I'm sure. I think it used a 429 Super Cobra Jet motor. Of course they had 4 bolt mains and all that kind of good stuff. I think that its a very pretty motor and in many ways resembles a 4V Modular motor.


Anyway I don't want to sound like a know it all. All this info I have giving is coming from me researching this topic for the last few days. I just think it would be cool to maybe buy something like a aftermarket aluminum 427 block(the FE motors were heavy and the aluminum aftermarket blocks save alot of weight compared to the cast iron blocks) and build a high HP N/A motor, and throw in a Foxbody or something. Maybe build it for Road Racing as the 427's were used in the Shelby 427 Cobra's and would turn 7,500 RPM's. I would also throw EFI on it as I'm not really a carburator guy. If anyone here has any info on this topic please chime in, and feel free to correct any mistakes or wrong info I might have posted.

[mezapu]

Its easier and cheaper to stroke a 351w to 427ci than it is to build a healthy FE or 385 series engine. Its all down to money. If it is no object then just go hog wild and do whatever you want.

[uedlose]

I would do a 385 if it was me. the money it cost to do a FE is just sick. I also think you could make more HP with the 385. but that is just me.

[einehund]

i know that i had a 460 in a 76 lincoln continental that i abused the shit out of and it NEVER gave me problems. I did snap the u-joint in the axel and chewed the teeth off the ring gear, but the motor never quit. i bought the whole car for 500, so i imagine you could get a 460 cheap as shit.