Roush & Performance Engineering

cobrasnake · #1 (**permalink**) 10-03-2003, 12:38 PM

Still working on engine/tranny for my SPF. Lot's of questionable threads regarding many manufacturers. Any issues with Roush or Performance Engineering (out of Ohio)? I understand that they tend to be on expensive side - are their engines worth it - do people have bad experiences with the engines or manufacturer? If the installer is not close by, can "anyone" work on these engines?

Any which way, I look to put in a TKO II tranny in. What are the negatives? I understand the big plus over a TKO is that they have ellipitical hardened gears - is it any harder to shift?

Money is always a concern - but downtime and hassles take the fun out of ownership. Nothing is bulletproof - I just want to avoid as many problems as possible.

Thanks -

TerrysSPF · #2 (**permalink**) 10-03-2003, 01:39 PM

I know of a couple cars in my area that have a ROUSH 402 and 1 car has the Perf. Engineering 418. I also have a buddy in Ohio that owns a SPF with a Comp. Motorsports (now Perf. Engineering) 408. BOTH companies are top notch. I've talked with Eric @ Perf. Eng quite a few times and have been to his shop in Ross, and he builds great engines. The Roush guys do as well, but you'll pay a little more. They also do some kind of registry with their engines (from what I've heard) that match their engine to the car you put it in. They also have a 2yr / 24K mile warranty. Both companies dyno test their engines.
Performance wise, they are almost identical and use a lot of the same parts. Perf. Eng. 418 / 535HP vs. Roush 402 / 525HP. Eric's 418 has a little more Tq. (530lbs vs 500lbs) and he also offers different cam options (from mild to wild).
Bottom line is, you can't go wrong with either. .......I guess I wasn't much help.

Mulv · #3 (**permalink**) 10-03-2003, 01:51 PM

Roush is good stuff no question, however I thought he was in Livonia Michigan... If you want a bulletproof engine, talk to Joe Kennedy at breakfast tomorrow at the Athens. Joe's car is rock solid and he has put a good number of miles on it. Elliot Franklin put it together at Mustang Corral in San Jose, probably for a lot less than Jack R will charge....

Cheers
Steve

cobrasnake · #4 (**permalink**) 10-03-2003, 09:06 PM

Terry - great info - thanks for the thorough answer
Steve - thank you also for your thoughts. Performance Engineering is in Ohio, near the SPF shop. Poor wording on my end. Hope to meet you Saturday morning.

BANDIT 1 · #5 (**permalink**) 10-03-2003, 10:26 PM

Performance Engineering all the way. I have never used a Roushe engine and have no negative information, I just know the awesome engines that Eric builds at Performance Engineering!

Rick Parker · #6 (**permalink**) 10-03-2003, 11:34 PM

Cobrasnake:

You have a good option in your "backyard" @ TOE Performance in Susuin City. Tony Odo has a lot of experience in Ford Trans Am engine building as well as Shelby Mustang Vintage Car etc. Dyno Facilities in house, Ford Racing Parts Dealer. Check it out.

Rick

bnewell · #7 (**permalink**) 10-04-2003, 08:02 AM

Eric built my motor over a year and a half ago......what a great engine!! The car has run perfect since day 1. I was looking for a high HP/high torque engine that would be reliable and Eric delivered. This guy is good!!!!

Brian

Carroll DeWeese · #8 (**permalink**) 10-04-2003, 08:34 AM

From all that I have heard and seen, Eric is probably the best engine builder for Cobras. He has done hundreds. He, however, is over five hours away from my house. Roush, McClaren, and Ford Racing are all within an hour of my house. I wanted someone close to home in case I had a problem with the engine or wanted to make changes in it or other parts or the Cobra. Roush produces a good engine, but (if you are some distance away) I would chose Eric due to his specific Cobra experience.
I choose Ford Racing for my install instead of Roush because they had put together and worked on lots of Cobras in the past and were willing to work with me. Roush has a great engine but not the experience in Cobra assembly.

Ford Racing changed my cam twice and went through three carburetors (finally giving me a custom built tuning carburetor) to get my engine just right. Satisfaction was guaranteed. The price was a fixed price with no additional expense for the changes.

TerribleTed13 · #9 (**permalink**) 10-04-2003, 09:53 AM

What about Engine Factory and Flatlanders?? Crate engines?? How are they priced,competitvly??? Warranty?? Good, bad?? Any experiances?? Thinking of a 396w or a 408w.

juanone · #10 (**permalink**) 10-04-2003, 11:23 AM

Dear cobrasnake:

You will not go wrong with Eric at Performance Engineering. He built my 427W stroker 566HP and is as reliable as a Rolex watch. His customer service and support is without question the best there is. He built and installed my engine and did a beautiful job detailing it.

I will be buying a Superformance Coupe in the future and you can bet I will call Eric for the build and installation.

If you would like to talk more about this you can call me at:

502-635-5711

Juan Lopez-Bonilla

cobrasnake · #11 (**permalink**) 10-04-2003, 09:35 PM

Thanks for your ongoing support and ideas. I continue to explore the possibilties. I am pleased to hear positive - any negative?

Dumb question - what does one get or not get if you have a local shop build an engine for you? Assuming size, performance, quality of parts, etc. are comparable, how would you expect prices to vary from a local shop vs. one of these "national" builders.

It was great to meet so many of you guys at the BACC meeting this morning. What a terrific group of guys and a fabulous source of information. I look forward to attending more especially once my car arrives. You made the new guy feel most welcome.

Cobrasnake

Mohuska · #12 (**permalink**) 10-05-2003, 03:50 PM

I had my new 522 built by Arron Johnson at Bad Ass Racing in Sonoma....He is well know and builds awesome engines.....I have been totally happy with it...

He previews my car and engine on his web site at

http://www.badasscars.com

TopFuel · #13 (**permalink**) 10-09-2003, 01:10 PM

Cobrasnake:

Just recently finish my Superformance Cobra. Spent a considerable amount of time working with both Eric at Performance Engineering and Ed Whalen at Roush in an effort to finalize a deal on a Dart based 427 Stroker. Ultimately I ended up going with Performance Engineering. Both Companies were great to deal with and were willing to work on pricing, packaging and customization etc. In discussions with both companies I felt that Performance Engineering had more experience building the specific engine I was looking for. Additional research on the web and in speaking with some of Eric’s customers solidified Eric’s reputation as a top notch engine builder. In the end, Eric worked out a motor, tranny, and installation package that I felt was a good deal. He also extended his warranty to 2 yrs. to match Roush. As it turned out Eric delivered an awesome looking motor that totally rocks, and I mean rocks,….576hp and 570 ft/lbs of torque. During the installation process Eric made himself available to answer all our questions and provide the necessary tips to make the install a trouble free process. Based on my experience and the level of the service I received your best bet is Performance Engineering.

I went with the Tremec TKO II (Road Race). I don’t have a lot of miles on my car obviously, but it seems pretty solid, and shifts great.

TopFuel · #14 (**permalink**) 10-09-2003, 01:16 PM

Cobrasnake:

Just recently finish my Superformance Cobra. Spent a considerable amount of time working with both Eric at Performance Engineering and Ed Whalen at Roush in an effort to finalize a deal on a Dart based 427 Stroker. Ultimately I ended up going with Performance Engineering. Both Companies were great to deal with and were willing to work on pricing, packaging and customization etc. In discussions with both companies I felt that Performance Engineering had more experience building the specific engine I was looking for. Additional research on the web and in speaking with some of Eric’s customers solidified Eric’s reputation as a top notch engine builder. In the end, Eric worked out a motor, tranny, and installation package that I felt was a good deal. He also extended his warranty to 2 yrs. to match Roush. As it turned out Eric delivered an awesome looking motor that totally rocks, and I mean rocks,….576hp and 570 ft/lbs of torque. During the installation process Eric made himself available to answer all our questions and provide the necessary tips to make the install a trouble free process. Based on my experience and the level of the service I received your best bet is Performance Engineering.

I went with the Tremec TKO II (Road Race). I don’t have a lot of miles on my car obviously, but it seems pretty solid, and shifts great.

cobrasnake · #15 (**permalink**) 10-09-2003, 03:25 PM

Top Fuel,

Thanks for your insightful message. I would appreciate hearing more about what you were looking for in an engine/package. I too am leaning toward the TKO II based on its ease of operation and durability. I spoke to Eric and he appears to be quite helpful. What made you select PE over Roush - was it location, price, specific performance or something else? Was there an issue of crate vs. custom. Do you have any photos of the completed job? What other manufacturers did you explore and what turned you off?

If possible. please send me a direct e-mail.

Thanks - Cobrasnake

bibt1272 · #16 (**permalink**) 11-03-2003, 09:16 PM

mohuska

Looked at your engine at bad ass websit [awsum] looking engine.
Im building a west coast cobra and trying to deside on an engine. Ive been leaning to the 514 crate engine until I looked at yours, now Im back to square one on what to put in my wcc. Will be giving bad ass a call.
Your color on the site shows up very nice on the engine close up shot. But looks different on the over all shot. What color is your car and how does the engine perform. Terry

Lowell W · #17 (**permalink**) 11-04-2003, 01:40 PM

Cobrasnake,

Do a search of Performance Engineering and I very much doubt you'll find ANYONE with ANYTHING bad to say about Performance Engineering or the owner, Eric Hinderberger.

I've said it in previous posts and I'll say it again: Eric builds a great product, on time, at a reasonable price and stands behind his product. You'll also notice, from all the positive posts, that Eric is a very versatile engine builder as well. I had a few reservations when I ordered my motor, since I wanted a slightly less radical 418 than his standard 535 hp. He built me a 500 hp motor that's a real pu$$ycat around town, starts and idles great and still goes like stink. He built exactly what I wanted. I don't know what all is involved when you order a motor from him (or anybody else, for that matter) for crate delivery, but if you decide to go that route, PE is a great choice, IMHO.

I also had Eric install my motor with a TKO (not II) as I wanted a taller overdrive. With the standard 3.77 gears I'm turning about 2000 rpm at 60 mph. Incidentally, this combination will idle through town in 4th gear at 30 mph, then accelerate away without any fuss. It will pull 5th gear from 40 or so if I accelerate gently. I've run 12.2's at 116 mph, starting in second gear. It still spins the tires A LOT, so should easily run 11's if I put on stickier tires. Oh, yeah, and 13 mpg in town, 16+ on the highway. For me, it's a perfect combination.

(Edited for "pu$$ycat"-the spelling police wouldn't let me type it without the $$.)