514 Ford Crate Motor or 408 Stroker

[Fitz]

Still only one (1) shared dyno results. Hummm! I am beginning to think these 460 600 HP (at the crank) aren't realistic. With a mild cam, Senior Edlebrock intake; trick flow A6 heads, and 850 carb, I may get 550 Hp? Rear Wheel? Then there is that hood clearance problem?

[Fitz]

Correction....A4 heads.....

[Ant]

ByronRACE,

Its quite good fun comparing BB and SB engines, and one can be quite a lot cheaper to get power out of for the street BBF, but thats about where it ends, and Mr Fixit eluded to weight on your front axle, it doesnt matter whether its a on behind the front axle really its still there, but I guess driveability isnt as important for street cars.

Cobras are originaly designed as a road car, and circuit race car and for all round performance and drive-ability the SB has it, and if you want to get carried away a bit build a Nascar type alloy engine, in a 2000Ib car, and not many BBF are going to see that off ........period!
Cobras were not really designed as drag cars, but I think Shelby did some for the US market, you need a black strip with plenty of turns in it, in my opinion but I am biased because I think Drag orientated cars are pigs to drive apart from a straight line, no offence intended to the drag boys!!

[cobrashoch]

Ant - I think you missed the point. A 385 drag car can be set up as a twisties car too. And the real point is unless you are into some form of ulta competitive driving you can't drive a 385 Cobra' let alone a small block car at it's limits. Remember, 289 cars won the championship using 60's technology, not 302's, let alone 393's 408's or whatever. A couple of years ago a well known local race car driver ran my car to 1.38G's on a skid pad and told me he would like to slide it at Putnam park against race Vipers @ the Viper challenge. Point is, that's never going to happen with me in the car. But it did see some 9 second blasts a Indy Raceway Park with me at the wheel. My car should be better on both counts when it comes out to play again, maybe at the end of summer if I can ever get off my duff. It's all relative man, it not what you race, it's WHO you race, and where and when. And most of these 385 block guys are right to assert the cost thing, it's a powerfull driver when originality is not a factor......
cobrashock

[Ant]

Ron,

You are right they went well with 60's technology, and with being a bit short and narrow in the wheel base, they dont cut it with other longer wheelbase race cars such as a 2005 Transam car, but I am having a go to make one as fast as possible on 17" slicks etc all alloy SBF Nascar type engine with well over 600hp, and the big difference will be the chassis my car has a backbone chassis designed by Reynard, so its not really anything like an original car!

Having said all that a 385 engined car would be very hard pressed to stay with my car on the type of race circuits we have here, I have been there with Big blocks my Hilborne injected, dry sumped etc etc full race engine LS7 Chev was so fast in a straight line, but had the weight wanting to go outwards in a turn, and when you gave it heaps it would do a massive drift and not that forgiving!
Fun to drive, but hard on the drivetrain etc.

I reckon you can have as much fun with each and as you elude to the 385 is cheaper and you get absolutely awesome power for the $$$$$ but one wont suit my application so I am just biased at the moment!!!!

Happy motoring is everything ........eh!

[Dominik]

I like this discussion!

looks a bit more educated than older BB vs. SB discussions :-)

while a racer (the minority of us) would give his left arm to shave off weight, a "coffee racer" doesn't mind.

talking about weight: who actually did weigh his car???
who checked drivetrain losses?

I had a lot of fun racing a 302 and also a lot of fun taking passengers from the local hang-out for a quick 0-to-120mph blast with a 514 side by side to a motorbike.

you decide what you prefer!

but which street tires can handle more than 400hp, let alone 700 anyway?

dominik, leaning towards BB ;-)