427/429 DOCH: Poster From My Youth

[chris401]

When I was a teenager I had a poster on my wall of a rear seat dragster with a Ford DOCH. I think his name had Snake in it. Was it a 427 or a 429? Spark plugs were in the center of the head like a Chrysler. Picture was in the 70's and the information said there were only 10 made. Any of this sound familiar?

[turbohunter]

Look something like this.
SOHC no D
http://www.google.com/search?q=ford+sohc+dragster+snake+driving&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=9fUgVLzuFoawogS8soDQDw&ved=0CBwQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=644

[turbohunter]

I hate iPads.

[chris401]

Look something like this.
SOHC no D
http://www.google.com/search?q=ford+sohc+dragster+snake+driving&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=9fUgVLzuFoawogS8soDQDw&ved=0CBwQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=644

Unless there was an identical shot taken with a DOCH, this is it. The spark pugs weren't as I remembered. Maybe only 10 were made specs for his car.

[machoneman]

It's Don Prudhomme driving SoCal's Ford dealer Lou Baney's Shelby Super Snake, Don Long chassied, Ed Pink motivated SOHC at IIRC the now long closed OCIR track in Ontario, CA.   

[Joe-JDC]

Should't that be DOHC???  Joe-JDC

[drdano]

I'd love to have a poster of this, do they still make it?

[Ratbird]

I doubt if you can find a poster like this anymore. However you can always have a photography shop blow it up for you.

[RJP]

When I was a teenager I had a poster on my wall of a rear seat dragster with a Ford DOCH. I think his name had Snake in it. Was it a 427 or a 429? Spark plugs were in the center of the head like a Chrysler. Picture was in the 70's and the information said there were only 10 made. Any of this sound familiar?

A local [SF Bay Area] fellow made a set of DOHC heads for a 427 FE for a FED. He was a tool & die maker and had the wherewithall and the shop to do this project. The heads were a work of art and won "Best Engineered Car" in several shows and "Best Competition car" in the Oakland Roadster Show in 1969. As for competing I don't remember how well the car ran but it sure was a gorgeous piece of work. If memory serves his name was Jim Gonsalves.

[turbohunter]

Love to see THAT.

[lovehamr]

Ask and ye shall receive!

[cjshaker]

Wow, very interesting and extremely cool!!! Never seen that car or engine before. Thanks for posting that.

[jayb]

Wow, that IS cool!  I wonder if the whole engine is hand built and machined, or if he was using off the shelf parts for some of it (cams, for example)...

[turbohunter]

Uh oh.
Jay thinks it's cool.
More food for his machines?
Bwahahaha.

[machoneman]

I do remember reading about Gonsalves's dragster long ago and IIRC he did machine all the head/cam/drive parts to fit a FE 427 block himself.  Could not have been a successful (read: competitive) engine build as I believe it was never highlighted in any of the rags of the era after the Oakland show. Too bad as I wonder if the car or engine survived all these years later.