Used Fe Prices $150.00 And Up

[CHAMPION]

i know that this can be a can of worms to open but only having owned small blocks in the past i'm finding a broad range of prices on used rebuildable motors.....i'm not looking for a needle in a haystack like a super cobra jet or side oiler....i want an fe that
i can build and be dependable to drive and have that awsome
cobra look......i've found 390's,429's and 460's from $150.00to $300.00 which is reasonable...then i found a 428 complete and untouched...$1500.00....none are hp's....is this pretty much the norm....like i said earlier...i'm not wanting 500hp....just some fun torque.....thanks

[LwCwb]

Get a 390, and throw the Edelbrock top end on it. It will have the look of a 427 if the right dress up items are used. This should make good power and low end torque.

[CJ428CJ]

If you want inexpensive and you want an FE, then go with a 390. They're still easy to find and as a result are inexpensive. $150 to $300 for an original bore rebuildable motor is probably about right. If you want more power and something a bit more authentic, go with a 428. Although from outward appearances you can't tell them apart from a 390 they are more desirable and they command a greater price. Still, you should be able to find a rebuildable motor for about $1000. Unless you have lots of money to spend, stay away from the 427's. They always command a premium price if you can find one at all.

You mentioned 429s and 460s too. Neither of these are part of the FE family.

[Edley Rondinone]

A 428 for $1500 isnt a great deal, but you DO get more cubes than a 390. A 390 WOULD be sufficient to move these little cars around, but after a year or so, or even sooner, you will want MORE POWER!!! My advice is to get the 428, and build it up as a lower-RPM engine.

[relaxinrob]

My dad has a built 390 FE in his cobra and it runs very well. I've had it up to 140mph and it had a lot more torque.

[Dwight]

A 390 WITH EDERBROCK HEADS, INTAKE AND CARB SHOULD NET YOU ABOUT 400 HP AT THE REAR WHEEL.

[Clois Harlan]

At the salvage yards around here you can pick up a 390 complete engine for about $300 to $400. Take it to the machine shop and have it punched out .030 over and buy a set of new light weight pistons, cam, lifters, rings, bearings, gaskets, etc. and you will have about $1800.00 in it. Then pickup a used aluminium 4 bbl intake and a 750 carb, and a good valve job. Keep the Ford dist and disconnect the vacuum advance. New plugs, wires, and coil. Total cost could be under $2500.00 and you know what you have in the engine. This engine would be a good 5500 RPM-6000 RPM engine. The 390 was the work horse of the FE family.

Later as you feel like you want to spend some extra money on it you can buy a set of Edelbrock heads, Roller Rockers, Alum Valve covers, MSD Ignition, Turkey Pan, Alum Water Pump, 2 X 4 set up or what ever your budget will allow. The 390 is a good engine and looks just like the bigger FE's.

Clois

Clois

[FFR428]

The 428 might be decent depending on what parts it has. You will be starting with at least a 4.13 bore depending on what bore is at now. Being it's complete and untouched I'd guess it's still a std bore block maybe. Check out the heads and intake and have a closer look at the internals. If it looks good you have a nice 428 to rebuild and can be done fairly cheap using existing parts. New cam/lifters of course and the normal rebuild parts would be about the same as the 390. Just something to think about...G.

[SCOBRAC]

In the interest of full disclosure I have one in the parts for sale forum. That said...

FE blocks are getting harder to find in good condition. It seems like as is the case with most older parts they are more common in some places than others. In the north and north east where icy roads and salt eat cars, especially older cars old cars and their donor parts, they are pretty rare.

In the the mid west and south they seem more pleantiful. The west is a good source, they are still available but are getting pretty expensive. With the continued interest in restorations, restomods and of course Cobras.

That said it's a sellers market. But be careful. Condition is everything. I can get a 427 side oiler block today for less than a $1,000. It has 2 sleeves ans a big repair in it's valley area.

You really have to know what the bore is and most likely will be when finished to make an educated decision. Side oilers are mostly done at .030" over 390's on the other hand can go as much as .100 over. 428's are all over the place with as much as .060" or as little as .030"

A standard bore anything is worth far more than a .030" anything. Is it 2x more? 3x more? That side oiler I mentioned earlier would be 5-6x more for a standard bore in new condition than a block with sleeves. Is it right? It's up to whats right for you. I'd buy a sleeved block if it was done right. To me that means all 8 bores sleeved.

Here in the west the market is tight. I saw a standard bore 428 CJ / SCJ block sell for $1500 the other night on e-bay. I have a 428 standard bore A code block listed for $750. $750 is pretty common out here. I have seen blocks like mine sell for $1,000-$1200. One aspect of this I seldom see discussed is the number matching aspect. Not terribly important to some, critical to others. I wanted a 1966 side oiler for my Contemporary. If you are restoring a 1967 Shelby GT 500. My 1966 428 might be worth a lot moe to you than a guy doing a replica that just wants an FE for realism. In a case like that a 1976 truck engine might be fine. Those you can get running for $300 and probably get the transmission along with it for free.


The other thing is a block that has been cleaned hot tanked, or shot peened, magnetic particle tested and sonic checked is worth far more than anything that hasn't been. Cleaning and a measuring the bore, checking the alignment is $65. Magnetic particle check (at the time it is hot tanked) is $40. Pressure testing is $15 A sonic check is $12 per hole. That's $215-225 in testing. You think that block will be $300? Not going to happen.

Be patient. Be knowledgable. You'll find what you are looking for.