Why aren't more people building SOHCs?

[65er]

It's not entirely about horsepower per dollar!  I could have certainly done a BBF of the same power as my FE for less money but I wanted the FE.  As cool as the cammers are, I have two strikes against them.

 1) completely out of my price range. Not even within daydreaming distance.   Just getting the somewhat typical (high end of typical I guess) 390 based stroker was a huge chunk for me and cammer prices are almost triple what I spent. In fact, my 458" stroker was about 4X what I spent on the previous motor that I took out.  And that one was and still is a perfectly good stock-ish power plant.   

 2) less importantly, it wasn't what came in the car.  If I wanted a huge beastly non-original style motor in my Galaxie, I guess it would have been a much less expensive 521" BBF.  Or if I really dug the valve covers, maybe a Boss-headed BBF.  The 6V FE was the one I felt belonged in there so the $/hp ratio wasn't that much of a factor.

[cjshaker]

Definitely price for me.
Even though my next engine will be an all aftermarket stroker, I love using the old Ford iron just for the cool historical purposes of saying that it's an all Ford 427. To anybody that knows old school racing, a "real" 427 just commands respect. I have 2 complete 427 SO Medium Riser engines that are all Ford from the oval air-cleaners down to the factory deep sump pans, and although I wouldn't have a seconds qualm about using aftermarket parts for an SOHC, those 2 427s equal about as much as I'd have in one SOHC.

In this instance I choose quantity over quality

[turbohunter]

I have 2 complete 427 SO Medium Riser engines that are all Ford from the oval air-cleaners down to the factory deep sump pans,

How long did it take you to collect the parts for those two?

[BH107]

I'm pretty fortunate to get to play with them anytime I want, but I'll probably never justify building one for myself. For just the cost of the engine I could build a really nice second car. But no one can deny they are cool, and if I won the lottery I would own a couple.

[BH107]

It's not entirely about horsepower per dollar!  I could have certainly done a BBF of the same power as my FE for less money but I wanted the FE.  As cool as the cammers are, I have two strikes against them.

 1) completely out of my price range. Not even within daydreaming distance.   Just getting the somewhat typical (high end of typical I guess) 390 based stroker was a huge chunk for me and cammer prices are almost triple what I spent. In fact, my 458" stroker was about 4X what I spent on the previous motor that I took out.  And that one was and still is a perfectly good stock-ish power plant.   

 2) less importantly, it wasn't what came in the car.  If I wanted a huge beastly non-original style motor in my Galaxie, I guess it would have been a much less expensive 521" BBF.  Or if I really dug the valve covers, maybe a Boss-headed BBF.  The 6V FE was the one I felt belonged in there so the $/hp ratio wasn't that much of a factor.

As for point number 2...Ford did actually build a 65 Galaxie prototype with a Cammer... Just sayin...

[mlcraven]

I voted "too expensive" in this poll, but to be honest, I really need to click about three or four of those buttons.

Me too...cost, complexity, fit -- all work against the SOHC.  But I admire the technology and have tremendous respect and admiration for the folks who go down the path. 

[country63sedan]

Another vote for cost. I'm saving for an iron headed wedge for the wagon. Now, if we're talking lottery money --  then I'd put a daily driver cammer (seriously) in the wagon. I'd also put a cammer or boss9 in the 35 Shivvy pickup. I'd LOVE to have a cammer, but the reality is that I'll always find something else to spend that money on. I'll just dream while looking at someone else's Later, Travis

[427fordman]

I voted because it won't fit in the shock tower cars, but the cost is actually probably more of a reason..

[65er]

As for point number 2...Ford did actually build a 65 Galaxie prototype with a Cammer... Just sayin...

That's pretty cool, I didn't know that!

[AlanCasida]

From strictly a personal stand point here are my reasons;
1. High price. However, I do acknowledge there are a lot of baby boomers out there wanting the toys of their youth and now have the wherewithal to make it happen so money really isn't it
2. Complexity. From what I have seen, when you get all the parts back from the machine shop there is still a bunch more to do before you can even think of putting it together. Although not on the same level, when I got my 521(460) back from the machine shop it was pretty much ready to bolt together. I only had to re-re-recheck clearances and check for proper pushrod lengths.
3. Now it's not novel. This is probably the biggest one for me. This extends into the wedge motors as well. After I finally collected all the parts to build my 427/452 MR I felt like I had finally become a "member of the club" since I knew there were a finite number of 427 blocks out there. However, by the time I got the motor together the aftermarket had stepped up and now instead of years long searches of swap meets and want ads for parts, all you had to do was write a check and you had one. For me that took the novelty out of it and that is one of the reasons I have built my 521(460). Believe it or not, nearly every component in the long block on my 521 carries a Ford p/n. This is just my opinion as I know the overwhelming majority of FE owners rejoiced when the aftermarket stepped up.

[BH107]

As for point number 2...Ford did actually build a 65 Galaxie prototype with a Cammer... Just sayin...

That's pretty cool, I didn't know that!

Sorry, I just went and looked and it was a 66. http://www.dearbornflashback.com/xfiles.asp

But Bob Ford also campained a 65 in B/FX with a SOHC 427 in it.

[My427stang]

Price for me, however as of the middle of 2015, Mrs Stang will have her Masters done and Baby Stang will have her Undergrad complete, which means no more college bills!   Maybe it will change

[bn69stang]

To me its about the money they cost , when you re  restoring or resto mod ng , i chose a 428 because it would bolt on , and yes i wanted to have 500 hp and a 5 speed , maybe disc brakes at all 4 corners . I can afford a stroker crank , aluminum heads and such but a sohc  is just out of reach .. Maybe some day .... Bud

[ToddK]

For me, it's primarily the cost and following on from that, the availability of parts. Down here in Australia, parts for an FE are generally about 20-30% more expensive than what you pay in the US, factoring in shipping, exchange rates and customs fees.

I have 2 FE powered cars, a 63 Galaxie that is mainly a street car, and a 64 Fairlane drag car. Both cars have the engine bay that will accommodate a SOHC engine, so that's not an issue. However, the SOHC in the Galaxie would purely be for pose value, as the  new 462 cube 6V engine in it currently makes way more power than I can use on the street. So if I built a SOHC engine, it would be a full race engine for my drag car. And that is where I find the cost becomes too expensive, even compared to a full race wedge head FE.

I did partially venture into getting parts together to put a SOHC together and decided to try using our local parts source. However, the parts I did receive were not to the quality I want, and I am still awaiting an outcome of the cancellation of the remainder of my order. I don't really want to air my experiences here, but mention it only as another reason why I am no longer going down that path.

I would love to own and run a SOHC in either of my cars, as Jay said, they are the pinnacle of FE power. But reality of the shallow depths of my pockets, complexity of assembling and maintaining the engine, and availability of parts are the reasons I will probably never own one.

[Bolted to Floor]

We need a select all that apply button.

1. It won't fit in my Mustang without major surgery.
2. It is a really expensive for the parts.

Yes, the SOHC is overly complicated. But, if you have the desire to learn and the common since to ask for help or advice, then most anything is possible. To someone that has never rebuilt any type of engine, they are all complicated.

When you walk up to  a car with a Cammer in it, the WOW factor is way high.

I might as well add a Cammer to my list of things to buy with my lottery check!! Haha