There are a number of ways to come up with a 427 FE. If you have mega-bucks, (or are real lucky and find a used one) you can buy an aluminum Shelby block. Or if you have enough dollars, you might be able to score one on EBay. If you’reContinue Reading
I prefer an engine be reliable and street-able. When you start chasing ultimate horsepower, there is a price for that and often, that price is short-life. Build 1 I chose a mild Crane Cams #349521 (222/228) bumpstick with hydraulic roller-lifters and Erson roller rocker system. If there was a faultContinue Reading
Rotating Assembly When I started my build, I learned the crank I had would require a .010 regrind. I needed to buy a new set of rods and more than likely, those rods would require rework, with an over-bore, I’d need new pistons. When I added all the numbers together,Continue Reading
Oiling Mods If the FE has any faults, the first on the list is the oiling system – and bearing oiling is kind of important to engine life. Plus we’re trying to pull a few extra horses out of it, so we’re just adding fuel to the fire. If youContinue Reading
Block Prep Take one FE block, add a lot of loving care, a little tweaking and voila, it’s a 428 I started with a 68 406 motor. Some of the minor parts are re-useable, but for all intent and purposes, I was after the block. The same could be done withContinue Reading
How long and do I need a shop? I know people who have assembled a kit in as short as four months while working a normal 8-5 job. It can be done. My build took me three years to complete but I took my time and made a lot ofContinue Reading
When I began the initial investigation into building a replica, I quickly learned the market fell into four tiers; Entry Level / builds that emulate the cobra appearance Mid Tier / builds that replicate the original very faithfully Kirkhams Shelby Continuation series And I was given very astute advice – lookContinue Reading
A young college student picks up a brochure from a nearby car dealership in Champaign, IL. A 1966 Ford Cobra. Man, do I want one of these. But then life surrounds you and the dream gets stored away in the “Book of Don’t Forgets”. The racing and car bug slowlyContinue Reading
Sources for the Cobra research are many and varied. Hopefully, one of these will help you find the detail you are seeking: Pictorial References CobraCars.be The site was shut down sometime around 2017, but if you know how to use Google’s Wayback Machine, take a look at the earlyContinue Reading
2nd time around 2nd Time around – light-weight Side-Oiler With my second build, I was able to ‘step the game up’, just a little bit. I had placed an order for a Bear side-oiler block but was having issues with long lead times. I was fortunate enough to find aContinue Reading