[twsharpe]

Back in the 90s, I built my first Cobra. I wanted a BB, I had 2 454 Chevys under the workbench. The Ford FEs were expensive and heavy. Aluminum heads were unusual for all but SBCs. A friend built a Contemporary with Jag suspension, top loader, pin drive Halibrands, blue dot tires, and enamel paint. He even bought an Arizona police car to get a 428 with the correct casting numbers. I started with a Shell Valley with a hardtop, Mustang II front suspension, coil-overs, and a narrowed 9 inch. I have a bumm leg, so I needed an automatic. The 454 seemed too heavy so I bought a rebuilt dirt track engine for $800 with Brodix heads, roller cam, Edelbrock intake, carb, wp, and starter - ready to run - and 406 inches. I couldn't find aluminum Ford heads for less than $1000 each. Needless to say, the 406 was a lot quicker than the 428. He won all the car shows and I won all the races.