Quote:
Originally Posted by Grubby
I am planning for my next ERA Cobra build and will go with a SO block (mainly for resale value). The 482s are the rage right now, but I want a car that can drive in city traffic or cruise on the highway and start when I get there.
The car will be cruised mostly and I will use a TKO600. I don't have any plans to track this car. Rear end gear will be determined by the cam, but something in the 3.31 range.
I was thinking about a 4.25 bore x 3.98 stroke; Scat stroker kit; Edelbrock heads; Edelbrock Performer RPM intake with about 500 hp. My plan is to buy the parts from Survival motorsports and assemble myself or maybe have them do the short block.
The short question is a 482 too much engine for the street?
John
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Hi John,
I just finished my ERA using one of Keith's 482ci motors with electronic fuel injection. I find this motor very streetable. It runs smoothly, idles and starts well, and pulls well in traffic from about 1400 RPM on. The motor made about 625 hp on pump gas at 4,400 RPM on Keith's dyno and it has plenty of torque and power when I want it. The motor uses a hydraulic roller CAM and CNC ported "Stage 2" heads from Keith. I am also using a TKO600 with 3.54 gears. My trans has a 0.64 overdrive so it will cruise on the highway at low RPMs. This is a good combination for a car that will be mostly street driven. Based upon my experience, I don't think the 482 ci is too much engine for the street. As others have said on this forum, the key is to select a streetable CAM for your project and a good set of cyclinder heads that match your cam , compression ratio, and intake selections well. Unless you really want to build the engine yourself, I'd suggest you speak with Keith Craft. He can provide some excellent 482 ci stroker motor combos at pretty resonable prices. You also benefit from his years of experience in building these motors and his ability to provide an optimal combination for what you want to do with your car. As others on this forum know, I am also a strong advocate of EFI on a street motor. I've found that EFI makes many engine combinations that might otherwise have drivability or tuning problems on the street run really well. It is a little more initial expense and work to get an EFI setup on the car but you will be rewarded with a very driveable car that will run well and will stay in tune when you're done. There's also the "wow" factor when you look under the hood.
You will need to be sure you have your car aimed straight when you jump on the accelerator but I think anyone with a big block Cobra has this problem
. Check on the following link for more on our ERA and the engine.
http://www.anitafred.net/Cobra.htm
We also have a build thread which can be found at
ERA 753 - Final Assembly in Progress
I hope that this helps you.
- Fred