SBF or BBF?

[LT Cobra]

To answer Rick Lake's question "how rich are you"....I'm just a lowly 1LT in the Army, but will make CPT in about 7 months woo hoo. I'm not hurting for money but still cant pay $20k for an engine. I've thought about buying all the parts a little at a time and then getting a great engine builder to put it all together. Has anyone done this? I'm sure it's going to be more expensive buying them seperate in the long run, but a piece here and there is easier on the bank account.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by LT Cobra

I'm just a lowly 1LT in the Army, but will make CPT in about 7 months woo hoo. I'm not hurting for money but still cant pay $20k for an engine.

You're young and you'll have plenty of time to build your Cobra. Don't get yourself into financial difficulty over a toy. A Cobra is an expensive toy that throws off no income, has ongoing costs, will not appreciate, and can not be sold quickly for what you have in it. A sideoiler might cost you $20k, but a nicely built 428 will not (and a 390 certainly will not). But neither one of those are "too far away" from twenty grand, all things considered, and if that number concerns you, now might not be the right time to build your Cobra. One thing you can count on is that to get it the way you want it will always cost more than you think it will. Personally, I wouldn't recommend getting in to the Cobra game unless you have all your other obligations under control and can afford to lose the money that you're putting in to your toy. Others may disagree, though.

[ENTDOC]

LT, do you have a cobra yet, or know which one you want?

[Naumoff]

Build your Cobra now with a big block. Don't wait. You can get a nice 428 or stroker 390FE from Southern Automotives in Ga. for a really good Price.
Single 4 barrel 428 turn key engine $8900.00http://www.southernautomotiveengines.com/

Bill and Susan are great people to work with.

This is my new 482 stroker FE



This engine is over $20K

[LT Cobra]

ENTDOC,

Dont have the cobra yet, but looking seriously at the Hurricane. Heard lots of good things and for the price, seems hard to beat. To respond to patrickt, all my ducks are in a row but still not going to drop 15 or 20 thousand on a kit and another 15 or 20 on an engine, must be nice to be able to though...thats the reasoning for piecing it out.

Naumoff...did you cut and paste that from the Southern Auto. web site?

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by LT Cobra

To respond to patrickt, all my ducks are in a row but still not going to drop 15 or 20 thousand on a kit and another 15 or 20 on an engine...

You might want to consider buying a used Cobra. After all, everyone on this forum that owns a Cobra owns a used Cobra. Seriously though, if your ballpark is forty grand or less then that's the way to go, and there are some pretty good deals out there.

[ENTDOC]

Hurricanes are nicely accurate cars and would go well with a big block. Tony is right, a nice 428 can be had for small block prices and is correct. Hard to argue with buying used though.

[Naumoff]

LT,
Southern Automotives is a sponsor on CC website.
I copied the URL but let me try again.

http://www.southernautomotiveengines.com/

Click on products and the different engines will come up and the click on the one you are interested in.

[FFRBob]

Powersurge and I both bought engines from these guys. I've run mine for a few minutes and so far, it's working very well. I have no funny noises out of the motor at all and it runs like a top. Usually, he offers a 428 without the front dressings, carb or dizzy for just under $5k. I bought my 390 for $3300 shipped. It pulls like a monster and would go very well in a Hurricane.

http://stores.ebay.com/Tuff-Dawg-Engines

[fsstnotch]

LT, don't get discouraged by some of the comments. A turn key big block can be had for under 10 grand. It doesn't have to be all aluminum, and it doesn't have to be totally professionally built. I had a built 302 in my notch that pushed just under 500hp. It cost me just under 5k to build in my garage and it was a reliable daily driven engine. I only had the machine shop prep the block and balance hte rotating assembly. Anybody can build most of an engine themselves. Some just choose to pay for it to be done.

Part of the fun in owning a cobra is putting the time into it during the build process.

Josh

[JoshC]

I to am having a hard time with my decision. Yesterday I talked to a guy with a Lonestar and a all aluminum 427 side oiler wich must have been pushing 600+ HP. It was a cruise in they have every Saturday. When he started his car, the whole parking lot stopped just to watch him drive away. I was awe struck for about an hour On another note, a buddy of mine has a new(Still in packing) 347 stroker long block, extra set of GT 40 heads, and a Paxton supercharger for a thousand bucks. The wife is making him sell his toys. I kinda hate to pass that up.

[fsstnotch]

Originally Posted by JoshC

I to am having a hard time with my decision. Yesterday I talked to a guy with a Lonestar and a all aluminum 427 side oiler wich must have been pushing 600+ HP. It was a cruise in they have every Saturday. When he started his car, the whole parking lot stopped just to watch him drive away. I was awe struck for about an hour On another note, a buddy of mine has a new(Still in packing) 347 stroker long block, extra set of GT 40 heads, and a Paxton supercharger for a thousand bucks. The wife is making him sell his toys. I kinda hate to pass that up.

If you do, pm me his contact info cause I will buy it!!

[RICK LAKE]

Lt Cobra Jason I got alot of the parts for my first motor at swap meets and FFP when it was open. I saved and got an intake manifold, save and got heads, saved and got cam and lifters, save and got a 428 crank that was 10-10. I brought the car in 97 at ERA and it has had more miles on the trips on the trailer (12) for changes than I can count, Paint and body work, suspension changes, 5 point roll cage, frame changes for 6 spd. P/S steering rack installed. Any way once you pick your motor and start getting parts, you want to stay with that motor. You will run into other motors you hate to turn down. Lay out a game plan and stay with it. If you have good basic car skills you can save money by installing trans, motor, and rear in the car. If you are good with fiberglass, you can do all the body work and painting, again save money. You can also find some nice USED cobras for sale in the 30K complete and on the street. If you build one, depending on which state you live in will need to register the car with the state, some times a pain in the a$$. You might find one that someone lost interest in and great a great deal. Since gumball rally came out I want a cobra, 3 car accidents and 1 divorce. Saving silver in a large 5 gallon water bottle. NO PENNYS. Good luck with your questand thanks again for the job you do. Rick Lake

[JayBar]

Or... you get a built stroker (351W) then buy superhart's valve cover adapter and put FE valve covers on it. Then you can lift your hood and the only ones who will know are the BB guys who are few and far between at Cobra events.

[Tony Radford]

It's true, fun can be had with a beefed up Windsor.

[Dwight]

Lt Cobra
my good friend Mike Lane build a FFR with mild 5.0 EFI. Drove it 12 to 15,000 miles and pulled the motor. He installed a 408 that was build by a local shop for $8 to $9,000. Put 20,000 miles on the FFR and sold it. Build a Hurricane and bought a KC 428 stroked to 461 with 601 fwhp & 619 fwtq for $12,000 +. He has about 4,000 plus miles on it now. He told me a couple of weeks ago that his next Cobra would have a 408W because it was more streetable, great power and the cost was reasonable. The 461 gets the ahhs and woos at the car show. It looks like the motor that was in the old Cobras. It's fast, very fast. Gets 14-15 miles to the gallon, if that matters. Every motor drives different. Take your time, do your research and any motor you pick will be a blast in a Cobra.
I like a small block in my Cobra. It's fuel injected, good mileage, all ways in tune and fast for a small block. I can hold my own at the red light. But it does not impress the average guy at the gas station or car show. If you want a "real" Cobra then it needs a big block. And like several of the guys have said, a good FE can be build for $5000 to $8,000.

And thanks for the job your doing for us over there.

Dwight



the 461 before we installed it


Mike's 408w


LT here is a few of my big blocks

[freekintoad]

I haven't heard anyone mention 385 series Ford engines.
Ford SVO has some great crate engines that a lot of guys in Michigan
are installing in their cars. I bought a SVO 514 CID[.30 over] approx.521 inches short block, and built it up with trick flow Cobra jet alm. heads, roller rockers,guide plates,Ford Racing cam[244 dur] Branda 8 quart alm. oil pan,
Fast bleed Crane lifters,Weiand alm.water pump, and topped it off with a
48IDF Weber carb set-up. I polished every inch of the engine minus the block.
People in my area wanted ten thousand dollars for a good FE 427 side oiler
short block. To me this kind of money for a simple short block is insane.
I saved better than 8 thousand dollars by going with the 385 series engine.
Please don't tell me that this engine is somehow not a good choice.
It's a big block,It's fast as hell, and it's a FORD...Capice?
freekintoad

[Dwight]

your correct Toad,
the 385 can be rebuild for half the cost of a FE (390 or 428). They are easy to find and make lots of HP. A 460 can easily make 500 horses for two or three thousand dollars. Best horse power buy in a Ford motor.

Dwight

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by JayBar

Or... you get a built stroker (351W) then buy superhart's valve cover adapter and put FE valve covers on it. Then you can lift your hood and the only ones who will know are the BB guys who are few and far between at Cobra events.

This is sad, but true!

[Naumoff]

I have not been in a small block car (including a Rousch 427R) that has the put you in the seat torque of a big block.
You can build a 428 FE and it will be the most fun for street cruisin'.
If I were going full out track time only in need of a high revving engine then I would go with a smallblock.
On the street the more torque = more fun.