Best small block for a cobra?

[BMK]

Rebel 1

I have the 351w stroker with Dart II heads and I can recal the weight was not much more than the 302. I do have a little bit of aluminium also..

Bernie

[Rebel1]

Hi Bernie..I have a set of the dart snr iron heads and they are excellent heads, but, I can hardly lift them.

The new engine is going to have as much alloy as I can bolt on it, and that more likely means AFR 185's.

I want to keep weight to an absolute minimum for handling etc. I'm even going to ditch the jag cast iron calipers in favour of nissan units to save some weight.

Personally I don't think you can beat the 351 windsor based engines for power to weight.

cheers

[Hal Copple]

I have something over 80K miles on my Windsor, stroked to about 396 ci, (i have my speedo out to Nisonger now for calibration), my motor has been wrung out too many times to mention, about 1200+ road course laps, over a hundred quarter mile runs, and i hammer in all the day long. Not an exotic motor at all, it was built by Bob Olhtoff, flat tappet cam, (roller rockers), Keith Black pistons, Eagle forged H beam rods, Twisted Wedge heads, but nothing really special in my motor. But i don't get on it until it has some heat in the motor and the oil, i shift before my 6K redline, and use Red Line oil, changed at reasonable intervals, and just in general use it but don't abuse it.

It runs the same compression as it did when new, no leaks, no knocks, no rattles, no smoke, negligible oil consumption, and even put on the same rear wheel HP on different dyno's 60K miles apart!

I think a properly stroked Windsor is a great realiable motor. Plus it puts out gobs of power from idle to redline, i can drive arond at 900 rpm in fifth gear, and it will accelerate without protest or shudder. Even with a race Holley carb!

I think the moderately stroked windsors are the best bang for the buck out there for a replica. The Roush motors i hear are really nice now, too. Lots of SPF guys are now using them, and RDI also makes a good motor.

I was running up near Charlotte last night, it was cool, and coming out the rest stop's I just couldn't believe how much power it has in the cool night air.

[Goober]

Hal, I aggree. I have a 392 from RDI and is it great. Loads of power and starts up on the button. We haven't got our cool air in Houston yet, but I'm looking forward to it. These engines really like cold air.

Mark

[Ant]

Why dont more people look at the 331 smallblock with alloy heads and waterpump, several reasons:

PROS:
Run more compression due to overlap etc with higher rev camshaft, but still on pump gas.
Get 450 - 485bhp - which is similar to the bigger strokers.
Better handling for road racing, and driveability on the street.
Sound great like a GT40.
Easier on bottom ends.
Dont need a five speed heavy road style transmission with a semi-useless first gear, and an overdrive, just rev it out to 7000 in top (3.27 ratio on 26.5 tires), and have a usuable four speed like:2.60,1.72, 1.28,1.00 Jerico, weight 65Ibs or an alloy Toploader.
Less drivetrain issues


CONS:
If running over 7000rpm a lot rocker gear becomes a problem.
Less grunt down low for drag racing or street.
Expense for a decent block (Dart etc) and Rocker/Valve gear.

Still like the idea of a 393 for the grunt, but I reckon hearing the small blocks at the race track does it for me!