Question Of The Day

[CobraEd]

Why do they call the 429 the "Shotgun Motor"???

Ed

[Tom Wells]

Ed,

Here's a quote from the URL below:

Quote

"Otherwise, every Boss 429 came with the high-nickel-content, four-bolt block anchoring a forged-steel crank, "S" or "T" rods and
forged- aluminum pistons.

Even more of a big deal were the exotic, lightweight aluminum heads, which, according to Ford literature, featured crescent-shaped
combustion chambers. Ford wouldn't call it a Hemi, which Chrysler used to describe its 426, but did go so far as to call it a "Semi-Hemi." More often, though, the engine was referred to as the Shotgun 429, Blue Crescent, or of course, Boss 429."

End quote

From here:

http://fordpower.hypermart.net/boss429-1.html

Probably a trifle hard to find, now, , and maybe even harder to fit under a Cobra's hood!

Tom

[CobraEd]

So when people refer to the generic 429 as the "Shotgun Motor", they are wrong. The term was coined for the Boss 429, with the big "hemi" heads?

Ed

[cobrashoch]

The term "shotgun" came from Nascar by a unnamed mechanic that commented about how the valves and heads topside looks were random, like a shotgun pattern. Petty raced them for a while and clamed they ran the same as a Chrysler hemi though the record book showed otherwise.Today we know it requires at least 500 cubes or a blower to make that head work. Interesting head, might make a interesting cobra too but the power would be down compared to other heads out there for the 385 series. Also several versons of that head were tried with Bob Gliddens "secret " heads never making it to production that I know of.
CobraEd - Your right the Boss 429 was the only shotgun motor that made it to automotive production. The cobra jet 429 engine is a porcupine wedge whose design lives to this day. Memory serves me right(?) but I think they both used the DVE 4 bolt main cast block with the boss needing o-ring machining on the deck. I also hear that any 460/429 block can be used to make a Boss engine though it will need serious machine shop help to make it so. BRING LOTS OF MONEY!!!!!!!
Later,,,,,, cobrashoch