Top FE Engine Builders in the World Start on a 390

[CaptCobrajet]

We did something pretty grassroots/old school last year.  Old iron OE 390 block, C4-G heads(1964 old enough?), Stock stroke, .057 overbore, 10.5 compression.  Made 600 hp with a little 390.  The intake was new, but the carb was a 50 year old refurbished Holley.  It is going in a 1969 17' Rayson Craft boat.  It did see 39 dyno pulls though....Does that count?

[turbohunter]

Personally, the fact that we all are messing with this old dinosaur of a motor, either trying to bring it into the now or just making the darn thing run period gets us ALL in the door of the cool kids club.

[FElony]

https://youtu.be/iFFGDqQpx2E


https://youtu.be/fPzAotIjSw8

https://youtu.be/DzKo8nKDoCk

OK, I know Brent has no Ford of his own to install anything into. But you do, Barry.

You, sir, are a terminal dreamer.

You say that as if it's a bad thing. What is wrong to see if the guys in this Forum who profit from the exposure here can jump the fence and do a simple street build with a neglected FE? That's dreaming?

Also, part of the problem nowadays is a “grassroots” 352 may get its doors blown off by a Honda Pilot, so guys have to up the ante a bit

What the hell? Do you get into races every time you leave the house? Is there no joy in just driving your car? I hate to point this out, but even the best FE's are going to get eaten alive these days. There's always a bigger fish in the pond. And what are you doing here with that "460" name? Don't you know that the 460 resulted from an FE having inappropriate relations with a big block Chevy, creating a genetic defect that consistently ruins the nice straight line of rockers? Sad. [sniff]

You, sir, are a terminal dreamer.

Lol!  Didn’t we have this thread last year?  And the year before that?  And I think he started one a year before that.

So, you think it's silly to offer up an idea more than once? Give it a shot and give up? Us that what you did with you Mustang? How narrow-minded.

What you guys should notice is that I usually show up when it gets boring in here.

[FElony]

We did something pretty grassroots/old school last year.  Old iron OE 390 block, C4-G heads(1964 old enough?), Stock stroke, .057 overbore, 10.5 compression.  Made 600 hp with a little 390.  The intake was new, but the carb was a 50 year old refurbished Holley.  It is going in a 1969 17' Rayson Craft boat.  It did see 39 dyno pulls though....Does that count?

A street strip boat? 39 dyno pulls? Unported heads? Low lift cam? [cough]. Nope, Blair.

I know I'm a bad guy for "dreaming"  . I will castigate myself in repentance.

[blykins]

Jump the fence and do a simple street build?  For crying out loud, Rick. 

I've got a handful of 428's in the dyno section of this forum that are simple street builds.  Factory CJ heads, untouched, CJ intake or PI intake, hydraulic flat tappet, etc.  It's all there for everyone to see.   So I didn't take it out and throw it in a car for everyone to whoop and holler over.   What's the difference? 

Of all the members here and engines being built, do you think they're all just being dyno'd at pushed into a corner? 

[turbohunter]

So much for defusing.

[CaptCobrajet]

.570 lift.........made the ports right here on my own table.  I thought hot rodding was about taking the parts and adding your own spice....    And it didn't get eaten by the way........

What about a 570 hp 390 with a .481/.490 lift flat tappet cam, PI manifold, and C6-R heads?  10.30s in a Mustang with a 9" tire.  Does that qualify as grassroots?

I'm not sure I understand your point.  If you want someone to build a bone stock 352 with no mods, what would be the point?  Just to see what a stock 352 would do in a '64 Country  Squire?  Elaborate please.

[Drew Pojedinec]

So, you think it's silly to offer up an idea more than once? Give it a shot and give up? Us that what you did with you Mustang? How narrow-minded.

Not sure I understand what you are saying there, the wording is off. I’ve never owned a Mustang.
Most of us have or have had well built stock style engines. Heck I still daily drive one.
It is the epitome of grassroots.
Bought used, tossed the 302 out, installed it, drove for awhile. Took it apart, blue printed, headers, intake, etc. built a roller c6, drove it some more. Been my daily since 2007.  Have tinkered on and off with it since.
I’ve never used or seen a dyno in person, my only work/tuning is in the car based on the performance I desire.

The last time you brought this up, I believe it ended in “So go ahead and do it.”
I don’t think bringing up an idea is silly....
I think bringing up an idea and never doing a damn thing else is silly.

So uhhh, Go ahead, do it,  only one person can stop you.

[FElony]

Jump the fence and do a simple street build?  For crying out loud, Rick. 

I've got a handful of 428's in the dyno section of this forum that are simple street builds.  Factory CJ heads, untouched, CJ intake or PI intake, hydraulic flat tappet, etc.  It's all there for everyone to see.   So I didn't take it out and throw it in a car for everyone to whoop and holler over.   What's the difference? 

Of all the members here and engines being built, do you think they're all just being dyno'd at pushed into a corner? 

Personally, the fact that we all are messing with this old dinosaur of a motor, either trying to bring it into the now or just making the darn thing run period gets us ALL in the door of the cool kids club.

This is true, but still not hitting the mark. In the old days we took a 1-horse-per-cube whatever and jammed it into a 4-something-geared car with no phaggy overdrive and pounded it all over town 'cuz we knew it wouldn't be worth much and didn't care.

I guess I'm the only one. Ambience.

Jump the fence and do a simple street build?  For crying out loud, Rick. 

I've got a handful of 428's in the dyno section of this forum that are simple street builds.  Factory CJ heads, untouched, CJ intake or PI intake, hydraulic flat tappet, etc.  It's all there for everyone to see.   So I didn't take it out and throw it in a car for everyone to whoop and holler over.   What's the difference? 

Of all the members here and engines being built, do you think they're all just being dyno'd at pushed into a corner? 

Just a silly idea that you might like to DRIVE one of your own modest builds and learn/teach how to tune it on the fly. Get the most out of the least. Wait, didn't you say that? I mean, who here doesn't like in-car video? You act like whoopin' and hollerin' is a bad thing.

[CaptCobrajet]

I have an engine just like you describe in my old beater 1-ton flat bed.  Everyone who drives it loves it, but it ain't super impressive.  It would drive to SoCal from here though.....and never miss a beat.  It would probably be fun in a car, with a 4-speed, but would soon become regular, and a guy would want to work on it some more.  I guess everyone has their idea of what they are interested in.....no foul.....

[FElony]

So, you think it's silly to offer up an idea more than once? Give it a shot and give up? Us that what you did with you Mustang? How narrow-minded.

Not sure I understand what you are saying there, the wording is off. I’ve never owned a Mustang.
Most of us have or have had well built stock style engines. Heck I still daily drive one.
It is the epitome of grassroots.
Bought used, tossed the 302 out, installed it, drove for awhile. Took it apart, blue printed, headers, intake, etc. built a roller c6, drove it some more. Been my daily since 2007.  Have tinkered on and off with it since.
I’ve never used or seen a dyno in person, my only work/tuning is in the car based on the performance I desire.

The last time you brought this up, I believe it ended in “So go ahead and do it.”
I don’t think bringing up an idea is silly....
I think bringing up an idea and never doing a damn thing else is silly.

So uhhh, Go ahead, do it,  only one person can stop you.

Sorry, I'm trying to keep up and that Mustang comment should have been aimed at cjshaker. The point is for "builders" to put a dog in the fight, not myself or any of the "standard" membership here. I gain nothing doing it; the builders will. Or may, I should say.

If I can overcome the lack of video tech knowledge, I will certainly give a channel the old college try. The segment would be titled, more or less, "What if Ford had built a Falcon GT in the U.S." and would revolve around the change to the engine compartment in '66 but no big block, and why let the Nova and Dart rule the compact wheelbase roost. What would have happened if Ford built a '66 Falcon GT (or Sprint) with a 352 4-V using parts they already had?

If I had a problem with dislikes I wouldn't have picked this name. I had 28,000 posts in a hellish part of the Internet before I ventured webside. I had fun there.

[cjshaker]

You, sir, are a terminal dreamer.

Lol!  Didn’t we have this thread last year?  And the year before that?  And I think he started one a year before that.

Yes, he posts the same crap year after year, and always wants somebody else to do it, despite claiming to have lots of cars and tons of FE parts and engines sitting around....that nobody has ever seen. What I don't get is why people get suckered into the same conversation. And the fact that a half dozen engine builds, that fit his exact criteria, and posted here, will make no difference, and the blaming of forum members for his own lack of will will continue.

[cjshaker]

Sorry, I'm trying to keep up and that Mustang comment should have been aimed at cjshaker.

At least you didn't wish my car would burn to the ground this time.

[FElony]

You, sir, are a terminal dreamer.

Lol!  Didn’t we have this thread last year?  And the year before that?  And I think he started one a year before that.

Yes, he posts the same crap year after year, and always wants somebody else to do it, despite claiming to have lots of cars and tons of FE parts and engines sitting around....that nobody has ever seen. What I don't get is why people get suckered into the same conversation. And the fact that a half dozen engine builds, that fit his exact criteria, and posted here, will make no difference, and the blaming of forum members for his own lack of will will continue.

That's a pretty funny post. But I understand. Nobody knows what has been going on over here for years. As for exact criteria, please sharpen your comprehension. The build is Part 1, the followup into a car owned by the builder is Part 2. The tuning of said combo is Part 3. I really don't know how many ways I can say that. Relax. Maybe you'll see. Less hate more think.

[FElony]

I went back and checked on the video comments. Awful lot of people loving that beat 390. Much more than the blown Chevy. Just sayin'.