[Anthony]

Ron, you're wrong.

Nascar did outlaw the hemi in the end of 1964/beginning of 1965 when Ford announced it was coming out with the SOHC, So Ford never got to race the SOHC in Nascar. Mopar got away with running the hemi in early 1964 before Nascar changed the rules. The hemi was delegated to only drag racing (SS) in 1965 until Mopar agreed to offer the hemi in street cars in 1966 qualifying the hemi for Nascar racing. These are the facts.

The MKIV BBC is an evolution of the 409, which is the MKI engine. The 409 block and the current BBC block are very sinmilar, they take the same connecting rod. The decks are at different angles due to the head/combustion design, but the MKIV block definitely is an evolution of the 409 block. I have a '62 409 380hp solid lifter engine in my V-drive boat.


The rocker arms are interchangeable between BBC and 385 fords. Manufacturers list slightly different ratio's,and different part numbers, but you can interchange them.

The early hemi has rocker shafts, central located plugs, valves opposite of each other in a sideways plane, and a hemi combustuion chamber, and is nothing like a BBC. I know, I have a 392 in my basement. The BBC did carry the "semi-hemi" name, but is nothing like it, in any way, block or head design, other than the slightly canted valves which at that time no other manufactuer had used, to my knowledge. The 392 also is a deep skirt block. You must have your contacts in backwards.

The 385 has semi-canted valves, like a BBC, a wedge chamber, like a BBC, and outside located plugs, like a BBC, rocker arm studs, like a BBC. It's Ford's version of the BBC. I have a 460 in my jet boat.

You can believe anything you want to, and so will I. I have no allegience to anyone. It's apparent to me that you are pro Ford, and thats fine.

I'm sure there are engine tests that show a BBC beating a Ford, and also tests that show a 440 mopar winning, which I have seen. There's more to making maximum power than just the advantage of the engine design alone. Practically any engine design can be built into a winner.