Inherited a Street Beast from my dad

[ziggy75]

Hello everyone.

My dad bought a Street Beast back in 2004 or so. He got busy with life and never got it finished. He passed away earlier this year and so I have inherited this setup. I promised him that I would finish it and so that is what I plan on doing.

He is one of the few that actually received everything as promised. He ordered it with coil overs and set up with a 460.

Here are a few pictures of the build.

Also, I know he had posted in this forum. His user name was Larry Ruppert.

[LMH]

Nice to see you're going to finish what he wanted to do. My condolences on your fathers passing.
Larry

[GT Trooper]

Enjoy the build. I'll be watching.

[Tim Brewer]

You'll get it done and driving, because it can be done. There's a lot of knowledgeable people on this site that will be more than happy to help in any way possible. What part of the country are you in?

[ziggy75]

I appreciate it..

I live in Michigan. I should update my profile to show that.

[EarlsflyinCobra]

Sorry for your loss, Good luck on your build.......that body hanging there brought back memories of my SB body hanging in my garage in my early stages of build....I'm in what I hope are the Final stages of my build.

[Large Arbor]

Welcome aboard. There are definitely experts on this forum that can help you. I an Columbus, Ohio if you ever need to see different types of setup. Good luck with your build and I am sure it will help with the fond memories of you dad.

Phil

[joyridin']

Good luck on your build. I live near Cleveland, Ohio and built the predecessor to the StreetBeast....a CMC Cobra. If you need anything, let me know.

Sorry to hear about your Dad.

[ziggy75]

Thanks for the kind words

[ziggy75]

I am wondering if the added weight of a 460 would offset the power potential vs just going with a 4.6 32v.

[YerDugliness]

Originally Posted by ziggy75

I am wondering if the added weight of a 460 would offset the power potential vs just going with a 4.6 32v.

Physically the 4.6 is a pretty large engine...there might not be much difference in weight between the 460 and the 4.6. Have you done a forum search for weights of each of the two powerplants?

My Cobra has a 5.0 HO out of an '89 Mustang GT...it is a very well balanced car, and even with the smaller engine all I have to do to burn rubber for a block is push the throttle down, there is no need for misusing the clutch. My observations have been that in these light weight vehicles more power=more tire smoke, not necessarily a faster vehicle (if you want to join in an age-old discussion, search up one where Big Block vs Small Block is the topic of discussion). Yours should definitely be a great cruiser, and that canted-valve 460 is a torque monster!!! Enjoy...and take the memory of your dad along with you each time you drive it!

Cheers!

Dugly 8)

[cycleguy55]

A 460 with iron heads is probably 200 lbs. heavier than a 4.6l DOHC, though you can shave about 60-80 pounds by going with aluminum heads. The 460 is also about 4" narrower and 4" lower than a DOHC 4.6l.

Sources:
https://www.fordracingparts.com/down...Dimensions.pdf
engine weights
http://raceabilene.com/kelly/hotrod/engine.html

[ziggy75]

This will definitely be an emotional build for me. I will probably stick with the 460. But who knows.. The Mark VIII donor would be the cheapest route to go. Once I decide to stick with the 460, I will be yanking it out of the frame and rebuilding it. The frame will get cleaned up and either powdercoated or por-15. I think my dad rattle canned the frame.

[cycleguy55]

Some other thoughts on engine choice:

1) The 460 is a torque monster, while the 4.6l DOHC makes it's power at higher revs. I think the 460 is great for street use - easy to get rolling and lots of torque available any time you need without revving it (which tends to attract unwanted attention from the folks with badges). The only challenge is exercising restraint - it's easy to over-do it.
2) I have a 460 in my West Coast Cobra. It has a 6" longer wheelbase than the Street Beasts' 90" wheelbase and some of that length is in the cockpit, with the rest for the engine. There's plenty of length for the engine, but not a lot of extra width, so I would think a DOHC engine would be a tight fit, and the extra height would require a larger hood bulge and/or scoop.
3) In spite of the extra weight, I think my car handles pretty well, though keep in mind I have not taken it to the track or autocross. It's running 265 tires up front and 295 in the rear, with front and rear sway bars. It also has QA1 coilovers in front and I believe the springs are 465 lbs/in - pretty firm but seem to work quite well.
4) In spite of the extra weight of the 460 on the front wheels and the 265 tires I'm running, I'm giving serious thought to removing the power steering and going full manual.
5) FWIW, if I had a clean sheet of paper I'd be inclined to use a small block, most likely a stroked 351W to about 408 CI. Lighter weight, good torque and HP, and smaller size making it easier to work on. At this point, though, I"m not going to swap out my 460, I'll keep it and perhaps look at aluminum heads 'down the road' to improve the breathing and take some weight off the front end. Just my $0.02.

Decide what you're going to use the car for (e.g. street use only, track only, combination) and go from there. My bottom line is the 460 is a great engine for the way I use it today, but that's not for everyone.

Here's an August 2008 article about a Street Beasts car with a 460: 1966 Street Beasts Corbra Replica - Kit Car Magazine

[ziggy75]

This Street Beast is the stretch model as well. Not sure why my dad ordered it that way. He was around 6 ft.

The car will be used as street only.

[cycleguy55]

Sorry to hear about your father, my condolences. When my father passed away in 1980 he left us with some old tools, his hunting rifles and shotguns, and a 1978 Ford Econoline (351W and a '3+1' manual transmission with a really tall overdrive 4th gear - not a good Cobra transmission).

Best wishes on the build - lots of work but a hell of a lot of fun when you're done (as if these things are ever really 'done').

[dallas_]

Sorry to hear about the loss of your dad. Sounds like he was a pretty cool guy if he wanted to build a Cobra. I'm sure he would be happy to know you are going to finish it.

Best wishes and please keep us posted on your progress. It will mean a lot to you when you are done.

[YerDugliness]

Originally Posted by ziggy75

The car will be used as street only.

In that case I'd definitely go with the 460...absolutely blinding low-RPM acceleration from that canted-valve big block (if you can hook up instead of making tire smoke), whereas the DOHC engine would require you to run at higher RPMs to get into the power band. Since it won't be raced, you'll be happier with torque than with high-RPM horsepower on the street.

You'll probably need power steering, though...even though the 460 is a thin-wall casting, it's still heavy just due to its size. Now if you could go all alloy on the engine, that might make a huge difference, but you already have the one your dad selected and if it were me trying to honor the memory of my father's dream I'd build it as close to what he wanted as possible. There's always time to change things in the future...as I have found out with a bit of a different project...don't ask, it's not automotive in nature.

Cheers, and here's hoping this project turns out to be everything you and your dad ever dreamed of...and more!

Dugly

[ziggy75]

Guys, I really appreciate the sentiment advice and encouragement. I felt the same way with keeping the 460. I have a picture of him pulling the motor out of the Lincoln. I should post it if I can find it.

Does anyone know about the crank driven power steering pump? It has one and my original intent was to remove it but now I am having second thoughts.

[mdross1]

Welcome aboard and a shame we have to lose loved ones but that what life is. You are a lucky man to have something from your father to finish he would be proud.
Built our CMC 460 powered car 93/94 manual everything it is a pure joy to drive no need for power steering. With the right tires your 460 powered car will need better seats to keep you in place they corner that hard. I might add having the suspension set up correctly is of the most importance with these short wheelbase cars.
Good Luck and have fun this forum has a lot of experienced people who are more than willing to help.
Mike