[greg schroeder]

If the plan is to look at the car and cause maximum confusion for others asking if it is real get a basic FE with old looking valve covers and old fashion fuel lines and stuff. Then you can make jokes about it being a real car along with evasive responses avoiding disclosure that the car isn't an original Cobra.

For me the plan was to go with a nice size engine that didn't kill the budget. I wanted the car to be very streetable cruising or a fricken hammer if the throttle is mashed and be able to make a casual start high 10s 1/4 pass without having to destroy the car launching hard. The Roush 427R stroker Windsor, hydraulic lifters, Victor Jr. intake, Pro-Systems carb and AFR heads seems to be the trick just like many of the packages out there. Get a good fuel delivery system and a set of Drag radials.

If the plan was to go faster, sure go for a 500+ cube big block or maybe a twin or single turbo small block stroker. That would be fun particularly if the engine was built as light as a Windsor.

The bottom line is you just gotta do what you like rather than what others like.