DeTomaso 289 V8--anybody heard of it

Historybuff · #1 (**permalink**) 07-24-2012, 04:20 PM

I found pictures today on FerrariChat.com of the Mangusta prototype
with the hotted up 289. The guy who took the picture thought it had Telachmit (sp?) injection or Webers. I remember DeTomaso bragging it had 500 hp. so I was wondering if anybody believes that or if any Detomaso brand alloy 289 blocks or heads were ever made? I know the production Mangustas sent to the U.S. had very weak 230-hp. 302 V8s. but then most show cars have more fabulous engines than the production cars end up having. It's show biz.

bulletbrown · #2 (**permalink**) 07-24-2012, 04:52 PM

Historybuff : A member of our club ,Windy City Cobra Club , has a set of DeTomaso 289 heads on his 1963 Cobra . As the story goes DeTomaso was in development of a new rear engine car they wanted more power out of the Ford 289 and they casted five sets of a straight port heads and mounted Webers on top and it worked well and upped the Hp . But then Ford announced the 351 and they stopped the research on the 289 . Some how three sets made there way to Carroll Shelby and one set is on his Cobra and one set is in a museum and one set was lost to time. I have seen his 289 run and it is very quick and sounds great . I understand someone in the early 70,s made a close copy of those heads for a short time but the auto racing had moved on to bigger and better things . And the car was the Pantera . The total number that was made is unknown but that is the story as I hear it . I have not heard or found anything about them in writing and I have looked , but maybe another member can give us more info .