My friend is an x-Ford Industrial Salesman. I learned much about the Ford Industrial Division from him and witnessing the goings on of him and my other friend that was a top-ten Ford Racing Distributor.
My x-Ford Ind Salesman had much experience with Holman & Moody who was also a Ford Ind Dist. He was on a first name basis at H&M. In the 90s there was much buying at the best price between Ford auto dealerships/parts, Ford Industrial and Ford Racing that I winessed. My x-Ford salesman sold hundreds of GT40 302/351 heads, 302/351/429/460 short blocks, long blocks and even engines to Ford Racing Distributors and Ford car dealers/parts dept's. FORD's pricing structure was very broad across the different distributors. His assoc salesman working at Highway Equip actually came from H&M and was in south Florida. My Ind Salesman bud told me he sold a few dozen 427's to savvy racers that went shopping for their motors/parts.
Just a note: The 93-95 Ford Lightning's 351 used right out of the Ind book a Marine longblock right down to it's cam and grey paint-- the guys at SVT that designed the Lightning simply grabbed an off-the shelf 351 longblock that was built tough for Marine use. The Pantera engines were in the Ford Industrial Parts books/microfiche. They were sold/delivered to Italy via Ford Industrial to install in the cars. He showed me and explained how Ford Industrial specified and sold the Marine 427's to Chris Craft... There were part numbers and batches that that spanned years. H&M being a Ford Racing and Ford Industrial Dist obviously would "buy" from the FORD division that offered up the cheapest price.
When I see that oddball 427 "missing the center cross-bolting" motor Jay posted I figure that some Ford Ind Salesman had sat down and priced out a proposal to provide x-many 427s with every unique characteristic on Jay's pictured block. When you see that BBC Jay pictured you know that Chevy also had a salesman that wanted nothing but to keep the Ford salesman from getting that order. Hence if we can save a buck here or there so be it. Maybe that deduction of the main x-bolts saved $10./per motor?....and brought home the order.
One time my Ford Ind bud sold me a NOS set of 429CJ bare heads he had scored by looking through another Ford Ind Dist's "surplus parts list" . I've got a H&M marine pamphlet (6 page) showing everything from 302 -to on the cover a BOSS 429 Marine Engine.