Why do I need a big block?

[Got the Bug]

Originally Posted by patrickt

you should realize that I'm posting that to provoke an exchange and it should not be taken seriously.

Hey, great idea for your new signature on Club Cobra.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Got the Bug

Hey, great idea for your new signature on Club Cobra.

Yeah, maybe. You have to wonder how somebody could get so mad at me and not be able to tell that I'm not serious in the least.

[jagxjr5012]

Because you can have one !!

The only thing better than one big block is two big block's !!!

ERA #208 and ERA #682

[rodneym]

For the same reason you need a Cobra.

[rustyBob]

FE,FE,FE,FE,FE,FE,FE, dont make me repete myself.............

[Barry_R]

Since bigger is certainly better...
Could I interest you in a 900 horsepower FE?
With EFI perhaps?
Operators are standing by to take your call...

In case you have not been paying attention in class, FE stuff ain't just old school nostalgia anymore.

[D-CEL]

Mr. Rabotnick,

Since you offered, What is entailed in a 900hp EFI, FE build? And what would that engine cost?.

Thank you

Jason

[rustyBob]

how does that old saying go "if you have to ask the price, you can't afford it anyway"

[Excaliber]

For the EFI alone I would estimate North of $7,000. Figure a couple of months, dyno work, PITA down time to get it working very well. All though it would be "in the ball park" as delivered.

[McD00]

Originally Posted by blykins

Wow, that line sounds way too familiar. I think McDipwad is back.

I don't sleep, I wait......don't get me started!


McVette

[D-CEL]

RustyBob,

While I am confident that the engine would be nowhere near affordable for most, I am curious as to what is required from a hardware/ dollar perspective. Blowers, turbos, nitrous, billet block?
Seeing that a <600hp, single carb FE from KC run in the $15-$20k,
Is a 900hp EFI FE a $25k?deal? or 35K ? more?


Ex,

Thank you for the guess

Jason

[Russ Dickey]

Originally Posted by *13*

Big Block car= Big Block motor
Small Block car = Small Block Motor
it's really all about sex appeal anyway

Thread should have ended back on page two with Hyde's post.

[Cobra #3170]

I don't know about what Barry would charge but a very good FE with the right CNC heads EFI , dry sump etc. that would make over 900 Hp would be around $62,000. A really good one with Ti rods, feather weight crank and other upgrades is north of $74,000.
This is not a Cammer and no NOS, turbos or blowers just naturally aspirated FE with billet heads (that will live, not a drag race special). The heads alone are $6,000 bare. You could do a Cammer cheaper and probably make equal power but it doesn't fit most Cobra's and is heavier. There are lots of cheaper ways to get there but not normally aspirated.

Originally Posted by D-CEL

RustyBob,

While I am confident that the engine would be nowhere near affordable for most, I am curious as to what is required from a hardware/ dollar perspective. Blowers, turbos, nitrous, billet block?
Seeing that a <600hp, single carb FE from KC run in the $15-$20k,
Is a 900hp EFI FE a $25k?deal? or 35K ? more?


Ex,

Thank you for the guess

Jason

[D-CEL]

..............ouch.....

[Streetwize]

I debated for months and went with the smallblock 427 but mainly because back when I built my motor (one of the first if not tHE first Coast HP kits) there were none around. I build strokers, it's what I like doing, I like the technical challenges of building a custom Bore and stroke combinations and figuring out how to make the cam and head flow compatible for the broadest possible power curve. Every time I take mine for a ride I never for one second regret the choice I made, to me the challenge and the reward is in getting the combination "just right" for the way I like to drive.

I've built several FE's before and I always liked them, I guess I just preferred the lighter weight (both total and over the nose) being that I'm 6'-2" and 240 lbs. To me the Legend of the Cobra is the 427 but the Racing Heritage and FIA/Daytona championships were earned by the small block 289, my logic was simple, I wanted the torque and power of an original 427 with the light weight and more balances handling of the 289, best of both worlds. Back then 91997) there were no really "affordable" Aluminum FE components, only the Dove stuff which was considered pretty "Exotic' at the time, Edelbrock FE's were years away.

I'd like to do another one, an FE of over 500" and 700hp....but not in a Cobra, maybe a 67 Mustang.

But today the technology and power per cube is really in the Small block arena. Look at the CHI heads flowing 380cfm, pretty easy to build a 650-700HP 392-408" motor and still have a decent high RPM piston speed and Rod ratio off of a 9.2 or 9.5 deck height and still have plenty of room in the bay to work around. There's not really a Professional racing market/venue for FE Big block where any of it's technical features have a competitive advantage to anything else, so over the past 30 years there's been (comparative to the small block) very little R&D pushing it's power and efficiency boundries. It was the top dog of its day in the mid late 60's, today it is a very cool notalgic piece, And I'll be the first to admit, nothing LOOKS cooler in a Cobra. But my reasoning is It's either Original or it's not, and if it's not than just build it the way you'll enjoy it the most and don't waste time being devisive by criticizing other owners for the way they chose to build theirs. We're all part of a very small community, why argue over the pedigree when we're all driving (when you get right down to it) "Lovable Mutts"

[Barry_R]

Hitting 900 in an EFI FE would be in the range of 40ish and up - could be way up - depending on trimmings. I've done carbed FE stuff in the 800 range in the low 30s..but those were drag racer style - road race stuff needs better parts - more time on throttle.

[mdross1]

When I first bought my kit all I wanted was to drive a Cobra,and building as inexpensively as possible.About the same time was downsized out of my career job.Fortunately stepped into auto parts store managers position with complete machine shop,changed course and built a big block drivetrain.For me there was no other choice,the car is everything I ever dreamed it could be and then some.Opening the hood and seeing the look on peoples faces is worth every penny spent.

[Full Throttle Al]

Sometime a Picture is worth...:



Alan
Shreveport, LA
CSX4083

[lovehamr]

Yup, that picture is worth a thousand woodys.

Steve