A few old school builds....

[sixty9cobra]

I'm a bigger idiot!! People ask me how long have you had this car? I say 40 yrs? They say are you the original owner? I say nope, bought in 1974 for 400 bucks with 85k on it. It was my daily driver till 1990!

[mammyjammer]

I have always been a Ford man and come from a Ford family. My first truck had a FE in it and it it when it wore out, I did not have the funds to pay someone to rebuild it, so I did it myself. I have rebuilt 4 FEs since. Hate to say it, but the only other engines I have ever rebuilt were air cooled Volkswagens.
I have owned For a 460, a 289.a 302, a 4.0 and still have a V-10 F-350 and a new Exploder. Never had engine trouble with any them,except for the FE's.

The FE is engine that puts lead in my pencil, so I guess that makes me a candidate for an FE Idiot's Award too!!!!...crate 460 or SBF would have been too easy I guess.

My guess for the 352 horsepower number 165, as I'm assuming it's a bit tired.

[65er]

Another idiot checking in!  Sure, a 460 based build would have been cheaper and more horsepower than what I'm doing, but after agonizing for weeks over the decision I'm very sure that the FE stroker is the right way to go for me. 

Also looking forward to seeing what the 352 does before and after!

[jayb]

Gee, Drew sure is getting a lot of mileage out of that post 

[RJP]

I guess I fall into the "idiot" catagory x 2.  4 FE powered cars, 1 FE powered trucks, 1 FE powered V-drive boat but also have 2 460 powered cars. My 60 Starliner has a mild built 460 and MK IV Lincoln. 2 more V-drive boats with 460 based engines.  I like 'em all....anything Ford powered is fine with me from Model A 4 cyls to Flatheads to inline 6 cyls to Y-blocks to small blocks to Clevelands/Modifieds to FEs to MELs to 385s and all varities in between....Including the stuff from Europe as well. If it's built by Ford its all good to me. BTW, I like the Blykins' 352 build too...'nuthun like cheering on the underdog.

[My427stang]

I'll fall in that category too, because I have both alum headed and iron headed strokers in vehicles that I have owned for 18 and 30 years respectively.

I'll also add that I was beginning to think it was a stupid hobby, but I played golf yesterday (poorly) for 6 hrs or so, and spen7 75 bucks or so.  When all was said and done and just had a sunburn, and empty bottle of Motrin and a bruised ego to show for it...maybe the car stuff is actually a better deal

[blykins]

I've came to the conclusion that anything that you enjoy doing is going to cost a wad of money....golf, guns, cars, you name it.  Gotta spend it somewhere though. 

[Joe-jdc]

ROI!  Return on investment.  Everything boils down to that.  Time spent on whatever is important in life will yield a ROI; marriage, children, friends, job, hobbies.  What is most important will eventually become evident by how much time you spend on it.  It is hard to keep things in perspective sometime when you don't get the ROI expected in a particualr area. 

The ROI on a stroker is so much easier than building a small engine to the same power level and not succeding.  It is what it is when it is said and done.  Unrealistic goals will lead to disappointment in any investment, so whatever goal you set for that "little 352" needs to be somewhere in the vicinity of 1.5hp/ci, or you will be disappointed.  More will be an accomplishment.  Soooo, anything over 535hp will be bragging territory!  Go for it.  Joe-JDC

[machoneman]

Guns, Golf, Cars.....Hah! None compare to spending money......on the ladies....Ouch & LOL!

[bluef100fe]

of course everyone is into the 352.
Same reason we all are in love with Cody's truck with 390.....

any idiot can write a check for a 482, stuff it in a mustang and tear around with it.  Takes a real idiot to keep up with him in a 76 f100 with an iron headed 390 that was built in the garage.

Fe's by nature are a more grass roots type engine.  This is the same reason that Nascar was cool in the 60's, you could see yourself in that car, it was real.

Wow guess I need to get over here more often... can we say thread hijack.... im really curious about the 352 also... I've always been a fan of the underdog... what I like about the FE's is nobody around here expects them to run very well and the younger generations don't even know what one looks like.... Im younger than a bunch of you guys but not as young as a lot of kids I see at the race track... thanks for the compliment drew lol. I also fall into the idiot category as I have a been stock piling parts for another Fe... or seven... yes its cheaper and easier to build a different platform but im stubborn and like being different. There's more in the pipeline for my truck and fe

[Drew Pojedinec]

you are most welcome sir.

How many times do people scratch their head at the track over your truck?  I could see the conversation now.
"Wow, so is that a Chevy engine in there?"
Nope
"So a 460 stroker?"
Nope, it is an FE
"ohh so one of those big 427 strokers"
No, 390 with iron heads... just some stuff I threw together.
"Yeah, we had one when I was a kid in a F350... got like 8mpg, leaked and burned a quart of oil every 100miles, low compression engine with no sack whatsoever."
Yeah... that's the one.




Anyhow, sorry if I ruffled anyones feathers here.  Wasn't meant that way.
Thread hijack?  I think I probably got Brent more press with this thread then he's ever had before, so some good comes of it all.

[bluef100fe]

This group of FE nutcases seem to all agree... we all like a engine family that takes us down the road less traveled in todays society. I think its great. Im usually first in line when somebody tells me this wont do that or that will never work...lol there are some very intelligent people on here and im glad I can read and learn about other peoples adventures...  Drew you are too funny... that story has happened before.... carry on

[bn69stang]

When you pop the hood on any of those cars , i think it makes a statement .. When i bought my 69 mach 1 m code ( 351 4v ) with no motor , no tranny the door was wide open for any of Fords engines ..  BIG BLOCK f e  was the only option i ever considered , and yes it costs more but its only money right ..   : )

[faulkdaddy]

Guess I too should get into the idiot pile also. I am probably alittle more than others because of the 466 stroker FE, a 67f100 drag truck and a clutchless Liberty 5 speed to boot. But mid10's is fun I will admit. Especially when all the Cheby goons ask if it's powered by a 460 and I give them the look. You all know it. It's the look of " what are you an idiot or something? " It' s a freakin FE  dummy.
Bruce Faulkner
SSG U.S. ARMY (RET)

[kwood]

Another idiot checking in….there is something in every post of this thread that I agree with, but I am addicted to the sound! No other engine has it. Just hope I can go the rest of my life being an idiot spending his extra money on FE powered Fords, tools and shop equipment.

Keith