Few can argue that the most important decision anyone building a car can come to is deciding on what engine to run. The engine is by far the most defining feature of any car. Big block, small block, turbo, nitrous, aftermarket heads, etc the list goes on and on. I myself went through many different ideas before I focused in on a supercharged 429. I remember Supersport giving me a hard time for switching back and forth on what combo I wanted to run. Hey, it’s a tough decision – what can I say? Here is the list of what I went through.
1. 302. I wanted a built 302 with a 5 speed because it would be pretty fast, get decent gas mileage, and parts are a dime a dozen.
Advantages: Simple, cheap, light weight, easy bolt in, etc.
Drawbacks: Everyone has a "5.0"
2. Turbocharged 302. I have a pair of T-03s in my basement that fell off a late model Turbocoupe and 600-700hp is pretty easy.
Advantages: Lots of really cool exhaust fab work, and setting up the turbos. Very unique.
Drawbacks: Carb tuning a turbo setup can be very tricky.
3. Stock 460. I had a friend who had a stock 460/C6 in a Lincoln Continental with 70,000 original miles and had been babied all its life. Too bad the owner died and somewhere along the line the air cleaner got taken off it and mice jammed a bunch of stuff down in the engine.
Advantages: The guy only wanted $200 for the whole car (which had a C6 and 9” rear end), and who can argue with a Big Block.
Disadvantages: I didn’t want to rebuild anything at this time, and certainly not a stock 210hp (!) 460. I wanted to drop in a running engine. (I was trying to be economical about doing a Big Block swap!! HAHA).
Bonus info: Actually I came real close to taking this combo eventually because the price was dropped further but what stopped me was the rear brakes had locked up and I could not tow it easily.
4. 501 Stroker motor. I figured a balanced rotating assembly was the way to go and if I’m going to rebuild something I might as well get a motor over 500 cubic inches.
Advantages: Reliable, complete combo and somewhat cheap.
Disadvantages: Stroker kits started becoming all the rage at that time, and for some reason that didn’t sit well with me. Plus I was having a hard time finding the right combo of rods and pistons that I wanted. Gas prices were starting to rise and I was getting concerned how much would I drive something that got less then 10 mpg.
5. 302. I started contemplating this swap again because gas has risen to over $2.00 a gallon. I still wanted a car that I could drive to Cincinnati Ohio and not have to sell off my collection of junk silver or Kawasaki H2 Triple parts to pay for the amount of gas I was going to need to driving there.
Advantages and Disadvantages: See first 302 entry.
5. 454 Chevy. I contemplated this swap for a week or so. Ultimately I was drawn to the challenge of building a Ford engine (and my dad was a Ford engineer).
Advantages: Great aftermarket parts supply and stock you could get a forged steel crankshaft (Much harder to find a forged steel crank for a BBF) and decent cast iron heads from the factory.
Disadvantages: Running a Chevy in a Ford makes everyone mad. Both groups hate you.
6. 429. I got SUPER lucky and found a brand new in the original Ford box 429 forged steel truck crankshaft at a swap meet for $400 (I could EASILY sell it for double that now). Sport set me up with a set of Aluminum A429 Cobra Jet heads for a good price.
Advantages: High RPM big block and no one runs 429. I figured I could still get OK gas mileage with the baby big block compared to Stroker motor.
Disadvantages: Cost, spending is starting to get out of control compared to the original scope of this car project.
Bonus Info: That forged steel crankshaft only came in F700 or bigger trucks with engines equipped to run natural gas. The only other forged steel crankshaft that was offered from the factory was found in the Boss 429.
7. 429 with 4 speed. I figured a high RPM big block would be cool, but a high RPM big block with a manual transmission would be DA bomb. (Actually a combo I would still love to have). I even bought a Toploader 4-speed for this project and still have it tucked away in my garage. I was hoping to build a BBF that could knock down 20 mpg on the highway.
Advantage: High RPM 429 with 4-speed!
Disadvantages: Running a 4-speed behind a BBF is expensive! Add up the costs of a flywheel, clutch, Lakewood bellhousing, and all the linkages and is gets pricey.
Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion - Tough Decisions Part 2 (Post-Supercharger Days)!!
Peace.
WesleyJ
Gal 5:25
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