Keith Craft Racing working with Shelby to benefit all customers

[Keithc8]

I have been working closely with Chris at Shelby to bring a better selection and stocking inventory of there products to the FE market. I am working with Chris to bring quality blocks, cranks, heads and other parts to our customers that want that special engine in there new Cobra. Let us build your next engine with the Shelbys parts you desire and deliver the horsepower you want. We are stocking 4.375 blocks with up to 4.375 stroke cranks to build you a 526 FE. Can you imagine a 700HP pump gas FE engine for what ever you want. We can build to suite any of your needs. Thanks Keith Craft

[ERA Chas]

Keith,
Do you prefer Edelbrock heads over Shelby's and if so why? You seem to build many combo's with the E'brocks.
Thanks,

[Keithc8]

I have used the Edelbrock heads because we have a lot of experience with them. They cost about 700.00 a set less bare and this is the way we buy our heads then do our work and install our hardware. I also did not have a good relation with anyone out at Shelby till Chris came in to try and change some of this. I have a set coming right now to R&D. If they will flow as good as our stage 2 with little work we may start using them more. This is one thing that we are doing by trying to work with Shelby and there products. Chris is trying to work with me any way he can. I will let you know how this works out. Thanks Keith

[GEORGE ANDERSON]

From our point of view I certainly agree with Keith's praise for Chris Weisberg.....he's literally been a Breath of Fresh Air to those of us who've been trying to get changes made at Shelby.

I can remember trying to resolve a major problem during 1999 and 2000 and working with Mike LeFevers who was until recently Shelby's engine project director. We eventually built a go no-go gauge to help resolve the problem and I'd like to believe we helped get the machine work corrected and back to the original drawing for cam centerline to distributor bore specs....for some time they machined these two componet centerlines to close together. The original thought was the blocks were perfect and the aftermarket gears were to blame.... we bought every gear possible and worked with Mike to get it resolved. But like Keith mentioned the listening ear was one way most of the time.

Early in 2002 Mike was having problems with engines having rear seal leaks....I can't guess how much time this one took to resolve, Mike spent endless hours, seals and rebuilds trying to get it back under control and eventually resolved that it was tough to run their blocks without the original style directional seal grooves being machined into the new cranks he was using. Working with LA Ent. the better tooling was aquired during the fall of 2002.

I can remember the lifter bore chamfers, main bores not right, the oil galley threads the lower bore areas perhaps requiring more meat....the list has been long but with continued and additional help from Great experienced engine builders such as Keith Kraft and others of us out here in the real world...the Shelby products are much improved. Like Keith we also have a real desire to use the Shelby heads but up until now the Edelbrock was a better way to go for many applications.....Prior to all this the Dove heads were one of the options as they are now.
Chris also has a head on the way to us for our R&D as he wants their products to be better and as Keith said they're willing to listen now.....it's very encouraging....
George

[BMK]

Hey George



Just saw you looking around here.



Don't worry about the moon.

Its been so wet and cold here over the last 24 hours - this is summer



We have driven over to Melbourne for the Cobra Car Show tomorrow so I'm watching the weather to make sure I can get to the show without getting wet.



To much cloud can't see the Sun or the Moon



Cheers

Bernie

Bernie Knight
Mt. Gambier South Australia Home of the 'Weekemd at Bernie's Run'

[ERA Chas]

To Keith and George,
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with the manufacturers. Your candor and credibility are most informative for we "consumers". Please continue to up-date us as progress continues. You're building loyal customers.
Thanks,