know any cheap reliable engine?

[burtonkim]

hi,
i'm kinda new to this. I decided to start a new hobby and car stuff seemed reasonable.
I plan to buy a "practice" car (probably a 65-66 galaxie), tinker with it, and try to get familiar with cars. I've seen 352, 390, and 428 in these within my price range <$2000. Master plan is to build myself a FFR or something in the future when I get more money.
I'm not rich. Can anyone recommend for me now a reasonable engine with the most bang for the buck? <$1000 if possible. I've seen threads for a 428..but rebuilt they cost 5k!. And buying a already rebuilt engine seems the most economical way?

thanks!

burt

[Tom Kirkham]

The small block Ford is the way to go. The 351 W will give you the most bang for the buck but the 289 and 302 (5.0) are very good engines also. Because of NASCAR, millions of dollars have been spent on the 351 to make them run.

FE (390, 428, 427, etc) engines are very expensive to build in comparision to the SBF. Parts are more available for the SBF. Check out Jegs or Summit for SBF. You will notice that not much at all is sold for the FE, and what is available is more money.
JMHO

[FFR428]

For the 390's rebuilt look to spend $3000-5000. The 428's are $5000 to 10.000. This is for a nice pro built engine. Several vendors here offer similar prices. If your handy find yourself a 390 or 428 that is a complete runner but needs rebuilding. The 428's are hard to find like that but I still see good running 390's for $600. Get yourself a rebuild kit and go. On the other hand for $2000 you can pick up a great running smallblock thats good to go. It really boils down to your skills and what you want the most a BIG BLOCK or..........a.............. smallblock..... G.

[ravedemon]

from my experience, all i can say is:
1) if it has to do with a cobra NOTHING is cheep, every now and then u may stumble across something that's inexpensive, but it'll break soon, and there will be no refund or exchange
2) it will always cost twice as much and take three times as long to accomplish .......

sorry it's not very positive, but that's the way it goes

[Jack21]

Listen to these guys. '60's era big block Galaxies are not the way to go if Cobras on a budget are in your future.

302/5.0 '84 and up are plentiful and reasonably priced, the whole car, or decent running engines. Your local Want Advertizer you can pick up at your local 7-11 is probably your best source of cars and parts.

The 351W based engine is definately the way to go with a street Cobra, given displacement options with stroker kits (393, 408, 427, 454). And... there are Windsor bolck, Cleveland head variants for more interesting combinations.

If you're going to have an engine built for you by a machine shop, the machine shop can source the block for you if you ask them to. 351W blocks are plentiful and cheap ($100 - $200), considering the only original pieces you'll retain are the block, crank, rods, and front timing cover. Nix the stock crank and likely the rods if you go the stroker kit route.

The 351W as it rolled off the Ford assembly line makes for a great boat anchor. But the 351W block, with aftermarket parts makes for a great Cobra or Mustang engine.

[Robert T. Faust]

Go out and buy "How to rebuild BIG-BLOCK FORD ENGINES" by Steve Christ. Read it once or twice and then go to your local auto dismantler/wrecker and find one. Get it home and start at it. When and if you get stuck on something go to the machine shop you used for your heads and block and offer them a few bucks to come over and show you how to do something or advise.
My present 69 428CJ I'm running now was my first time at completely rebuilding a Ford big block and all done through this FANTASTIC BOOK. It tells you everything, from start to finish.
Yeah, you not gonna be able to brag about your 650+ horse power, but you can say "yep, I built it and when it breaks I can fix it". PLUS, it gives you a great excuse to buy some new tools.
Bob

[burtonkim]

hi, i know its been a while, i finally decided to get a 289 engine. I got a 1966 mercury comet with a 289 from the original owner who kept all the receipts and kept in the garage...all original and i felt it was a good deal.

i wanna tinker with the car now and hopefully in about 3-4 eyars probably get cash for a cobra kit and transfer over. Hopefully FFR and others are around by that time..or at least at near similar prices

thx for the help.

burton

[Mr427]

It´s just not the same ......I know, I know, my first car was an M-code Mach 1 and it was a great pleasure to drive. The windsor has since evolved into a world class rice cooker and chebby lover of sorts.

Still, none of this beats the experience of starting up my full house 390, LeMans valve covers and all, in my Galaxie convertible when I was about to finish the car, new top, wheels, tires open exhaust and all .... hearing it lope at 800 rpms. There is something to be said for the character of those engines.

No Ford fan should leave the sport or the planet wihout having owned and driven the FE.

At 115 mph, all I can hear is this tremendous noise from the windshield and the FE sucking down the sky through th eopen element air cleaner and the radio antenna whistles in the wind. I turned it the wrong way, so the airfoil shape drags forward. What is best, this old engine will not let up at this speed. I am just afraid to get sucked out of the car if I drive it faster. It wants to go on and up, like a hugry Doberman