[Tony Ripepi]

Hi Gunner,

The details are available from Tom Lucas at FE specialties, he is well respected here in the Bay area for his FE motors. The point being that you can start with 40 year old Iron or get new castings in Iron or Aluminum, either way add in the right components and cost escalates quckly. The base 390 uses original style crank and connecting rods and is a budget build, I'm pretty sure that is not the 570 HP version of the motor.

I saw a 390 orginal style motor that had been gone through, machined, Dyno tested and ready to install this past weekend for $5,750 at the Mustang Ranch in Santa Clara last weekend. The budget build can be had that will make 400-450 with a 390 very inexpensively.

An FE can make 500+ HP with the right stuff inside, the cost of the block is simply the price of entry, you pick the right components from there (Same Cost i.e. Crank, Heads, roller rockers, Connecting Rods, Cam etc.etc.) and the 390/428/427 will all get there. A key ingredient is to have the expertise to put it together.

One Man's opinion........

Tony R.