>My questions are: Am I missing something? Why are there not more 390's in
>Cobras? Is it waste of money to stroke the 390 to a 410 (using a 428 crank)?
>Should I just get a 428PI instead (since some did come with that engine)?
Good question. A friend of mine is an engine builder and has had several
people ask him for quotes for building 427's or 428's for their kit Cobras.
He usually informs them of the cost of building genuine 427's and suggests
a stroker 390 FE or 391 FT as a cheaper, look-a-like, alterative. He says
the usual response is, that if they can't put a real 427 side oiler in it,
they say they'll just put a 350 Chevy in it. Weird.
>I didn't think picking an engine would be this hard, but the soul of the beast
>is the motor. Yea, I can get a screaming 351W but it looks kinda small in the
>engine bay (those chrome 427 valve covers look like a broad shouldered brut).
>But I don't want an underachieving BB either.
Dave recently built a 443 FE stroker for a friend's Mustang. They originally
tried to save a cracked 428 passenger car block but it leaked, so they switched
to an FT block. The FT is a truck version of the FE with thicker main webs and
cylinder walls. Using a stroked 390 crank, he built the short block for around
$1800. Add $1100 Edelbrock aluminum heads, the intake manifold and valve
covers of your choice, and you can have a good looking/running FE for less than
the cost of a typical 351W. Dave reports, with an aluminum intake manifold
and heads, the 443 stroker weighs about the same as a 351W or 351C. Dave has
a web page at:
http://angelfire.com/ar/dw42/index.htm
and the 443 FE stroker is covered at:
http://members.tripod.com/lyc_42/443/443.htm
Dave's also building a 456 FE for a customer. You may want to drop him an
email at the address listed on his web page. He's been having some problems
with that address. If it doesn't work, I can send you his personal email
address.
>Can you elaborate on what it would take to have it look like a side oiler?
>I've always been partial to those pent roof valve covers...
Externally, all the FE's and FT's are basically similar (excepting the exotica
like the tunnel ports and SOHC's). With proper valve covers, few will know
the difference. My dad used to pass off his 427 side oiler stroker (454 cubes)
as a 428CJ all the time. If you really want to fool the lookers, you can epoxy
bolt heads to the block to replicate the cross-bolted 427 look.
Dan Jones