390 / 428 owners

[KevinW]

Posted here some months ago, still not decided on an engine. (well the new car package only arrived 3 weeks ago).

I'm not in the market for a 427 S/O or T/O, as these are out of my budget. I was planning on a 390/406, but now i might be tempted to go for the 428 (I like the idea of the extra cubes).

Some quick questions...

390/+ owners:
why did you go for the 390 instead of one of the other (larger) FE variants?

428/+ owners:
why did you go for the 428 instead of one of a smaller Cu in engine?

would i notice a difference in performance/mpg etc on like-for-like basis, based purely on the extra few cu in?
is it worth the extra $$$$?

cheers,
Kevin

[rustyBob]

390 for me.....more plentiful,cost about the same to build as a 428 (depending on how radical you get) and if your not concerned with resale value the 390 cars dont sell for as much as a 428 car but they will stil put out enough power to make the average person you give a ride to wet there pants with fear when you drop the GO pedal to the floor.
My 390 is 30 over with cast pistons port matched heads Edelbrock performer cam,intake,carb,and hreaders and under car exhaust c/6 trans 2500 stall converter and340 rear gears and is more fun than you could ever imagine........

[wrench87]

i am doing a 390 stroker, the nice thing about the 390 is the blocks are cheap to buy i paid 200.00 for a bare block with 57k on it, when it is done should make close to 500 hp and 500 ft lbs of tourque. if i was to do it again i would just purchase a gennisis or pond steel block and do a 482 cid. the parts cost the same when you are buying them but i am now locked in with the smaller pistons and smaller heads and smaller cam so if i want to upgrade to a 482 i will have to buy a lot of things over. so take you time and decide wisely.

[Parksparky]

My 390 started as a budget thing but took a turn for the $$ early on. Parts are easy to find ( Summit Racing is 15 minutes away) A scat stroker kit, lutani Roller rockers, edelbrock heads, manifold, holly carb, all the good stuff and POW you have a real powerhouse....look for the motor build atricle in Hot rod they did a few years back...very impressive.
Bob

[Gunner]

There was just a long thread discussing 390 v 428. Bottom line, if it's really worth saving about $800-1000 on the block at build time, in return for at least that much (more likely 2-5x) in lost resale value someday, go right ahead with the 390 - they're great engines in every respect bar "sexiness" and resale return.

[KevinW]

Thanks guys -appreciated.

Gunner - I;m guesing you mean
Upcoming FE build: plan coming together
- sorry should have looked harder on the search facility. didnt spot it earlier before the OP.

[patrickt]

An Interesting question was posed over on the FE Forum on a 390/428 thread today. http://www.network54.com/Forum/74182...f+its+casting-

So lets say you bore one of these blocks out to 4.13. It has the additional webbing, c on the back, but no 428 in the water jacket but soniced ok. Would you be lying if you tried to pass it off as a 428?

[Gunner]

Originally Posted by Parksparky

My 390 started as a budget thing but took a turn for the $$ early on.

I think this is representative of one of the most common mistakes in performance car building. The extreme, but common example is something like a stripper Honda Civic that sold for maybe $8k new... with $ks and $ks of performance gear bolted, bonded and riveted on. So fine, it's all the kid could afford when he needed a car, but the foolishness of putting a huge chunk of each paycheck into something that's NEVER going to pay off, not in real performance nor in resale return, is sometimes heartbreaking to see.

If you start with an inexpensive engine option, you should stay on the realistic build curve with it. If all of a sudden you feel the lure of extensively ported heads, drag-grade rotating assembly, fancy intake etc., you really should back up to square one and start with an engine choice that makes sense. Putting $10k into a 390 or wedge block engine is going to to leave you short of where you should have gotten spending that much money, for this application.

Years ago, I read a line in Car and Driver that's stuck with me: "All the re-engineering in the world won't turn a Pinto into a Porsche."

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by Gunner

Years ago, I read a line in Car and Driver that's stuck with me: "All the re-engineering in the world won't turn a Pinto into a Porsche."

Unless the Pinto was re-engineered by the Kirkhams and funding provided by Mr. Larry Ellison.

If Alan (OP on the other 390/428 thread) wants to build a 390, stroked or not, with Webers, then G-d bless him. Whatever makes him happy. That's what it's all about.

[bulletbrown]

Ok, here is my 2cents , I had a warmed over 390 in my Cobra for three years it had 314 hp at the rear wheels with stock heads and rotating assembly. It had a mild cam and aftermarket intake. I ran it hard and never had a moments trouble out of it. I came across a 1967 police interceptor 428 and built it up to about 540 HP at the flywheel : what is the differance ? Well its the pitch of the tire burning when you launch it hard . Both will blow the tires off the rims . Yes 428 is faster but you are paying $$$$ for the added HP . So don't over look the 390,s as it is a reliable , fun engine and can be built for a very reasonable buck .

[MaSnaka]

I will start by saying I have the 390 with stock heads and rotating ass. It's not the engine that intimidates, it's the car's reputation. I'm not out to try and outrun anyone. You want to be faster than me, go ahead. But that's just me. The 300+ hp at the rear wheels will get you moving just fine. In fact a $120K 911 will be only slightly faster, maybe. Park next to one though and see which car gets more attention. There is no shame in a 390. Yes, I would like to say it's a 428. But there are plenty of sbf's that kick butt too.

John

[patrickt]

I was trying to get to the point that John just made in one of my posts on the other 390/428 thread. Yes a 428 can dish out more potential HP than a 390, and a 427 can dish out more than a 428. But a well built 390 can easily get you close to the "usable street limit" in one of these cars. My stroked and bored 428 makes 450 HP with the pipes and accessories on -- and I can't even use all of that -- if I stick it hard she just breaks loose. Barry & Keith would call that a "very mild FE build" and they could get you those specs with a 390 working in their sleep. Plus, if you look at a lot of the Cobras that are for sale with "less than a thousand miles on them," almost all of them have ridiculously high HP numbers, and are probably a royal PITA to drive on the street. While it goes against most of our natures, there is a point when "less is more" on our cars... and you can hit the sweet spot pretty easily with a 390.

[rustyBob]

AMEN Patrick........you da man.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by rustyBob

AMEN Patrick........you da man.

... well, see if you can convince D-Cell of that.

[PFSlim]

390 for me. Wanted a big block but wanted to cut back on HP if possible. This one is bored .40 over (mistake by machine shop), aluminum intake, 428CJ heads. Holley 750.

Paul

[lovehamr]

Originally Posted by bulletbrown

what is the differance ? Well its the pitch of the tire burning when you launch it hard .

Now that's funny right there!!

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by patrickt

While it goes against most of our natures, there is a point when "less is more" on our cars... and you can hit the sweet spot pretty easily with a 390.

That's just plain un-American. Personally I need more power. Scotty?

[Gunner]

Was it Shelby who, when one of his drivers complained that the car was too powerful, led him to the cockpit, pointed at the throttle, and said, "Don't push down so hard!"?

[rustyBob]

Throttle stop........i dont need no stinking throttle stop..........

[Gunner]

Originally Posted by rustyBob

Throttle stop........i dont need no stinking throttle stop..........

So, the uniformed gent who pulls you over won't need no stinking badge, then...