scary thought,fe die?

[HTM101]

I attend a couple Cars & Coffee events each season.  The event draws 125-250 cars.  The only FE will be in 1 or 2 replica Cobras, but the owners of those 2 Cobras also each own a Ford hot rod, and both hot rods have a Chevy engine.  They probably drive the hot rods more often than the Cobras.

When I attend a Cruise Night, the attendance will be 60-100 cars.  There will be 1 FE there, mine.  Once in a while a Galaxie or Mustang with an FE may show up.

If the car event isn't an all Ford get-together, an FE sighting isn't common in my neck of the woods.

[BigNate]

Shrink in popularity... yes... die... no... 

My 17 year old is considering starting a project that will be flat-head based.    I'd bet that 100 years from now there will be gearhead kids out there that see a video of an old thunderbolt on a tear and say to themselves "I've gotta get me some of that... "

[67gt350]

 There is now where I can pick up a catalog and order a block, heads, or intake I want at a reasonable price and receive it in a reasonable amount of time. So how many years will it take to put my dream engine together for my 67 GT500 clone We will never know...

[chris401]

An Egge rep told me that there 3.5" stroke cast piston mold cost $10,000. At a 1.825" pin height it does not look like they used there resources wisely. If that approach is applied engineering other FE products I can see different companies dropping a line of parts that do not move fast. That would keep cost up but does not seem like enough to kill it.

[EricDS]

I'm 39 and am not going anywhere.  Popularity of anything goes up and down, but it seems like there is an automotive fan base for everything.  Bottom line, FE engines as an interest group is not going anywhere.

it would be nice if the cast iron headers became less popular so the prices can come down.   Lol!

[plovett]

What the FE needs for the next stage of it's resurgence is a moderately priced, always available, good quality aftermarket iron 427 block.   NOTHING ELSE will have as much impact.   The block is the keystone of a build, and a 4.23+" bore in a strong block is what people need to make powerful and competitive engines. 

Edelbrock lit the first stage with their aluminum FE heads a couple of decades ago.  A good, reasonably priced, aftermarket iron block, would blast the FE into the stratosphere and keep it going for a long time to come.   I'm not sure what reasonably priced means.  It will still cost significantly more than SBC and SBF aftermarket blocks.  Maybe $3200-$3400 and consistently available?  Made in the USA is a plus, too.

I know Jay and you guys outlined how hard it might be to make that come true in terms of initial investment and total sales.  I can't do it.  But hell, there are aftermarket Buick and Oldsmobile blocks for heavens sakes!   There's got to be somebody that can do it with the FE?

JMO,

paulie

[RJP]

Imagine a CGI 427 FE block. 

[plovett]

Imagine a CGI 427 FE block. 

I, and I think most FE enthusiasts, just want a plain old iron 427 block, available all the time, at a decent price.  CGI is computer generated images, right? 

JMO,

paulie

[cattleFEeder]

CGI
compacted graphite iron

[Garyford]

I think the hobby has been hurt by the search for perfection among other things.  Years ago a backyard paintjob was great and nobody saw or paid much attention to the defects.  Now you will be criticized for less than an $8-15K paint job.

Similar criteria applies to drive trains etc.  Things got SO GOOD (and expensive) that anything less is considered a failure: what fun is that.  A large part of the hobby that has lost intrigue for me personally is the creativity: If there is only one definition of paintjob, drivetrain, upholstery etc that is deemed acceptable, there is not much opportunity for personal expression except to write the checks.

Same criteria applies to performance standards. It used to be fun to mix a bunch of used parts and come up with a combination that could challenge new cars costing 4X as much. Now there are new cars running 12's, and guys on line saying an 8 second street car is normal. I have no interest in driving an 8 second street car protected by 1960's sheet metal and crumple zones. But anything less than such heroic accomplishments is considered failure.

Another thing hurting the hobby is the overabundance of information, entertainment and generally "choices" available electronically these days.  Nobody has anywhere near as much passion for anything they personally own, as was the case decades ago, because it is so overshadowed by all else.