427 Side-oiler - approx. horsepower?

[car4jim]

There was a show on Speed channel where they dyno'ed all the big blocks from the 60's. They tested a 427 FE that looked relatively stock. It seems to recall around 500 HP. Anyone see the show that can confirm?

[Gunner]

Originally Posted by car4jim

...a 427 FE that looked relatively stock.

I have a 400HP 289 that looks completely stock. I purposely built it that way, along with the '68 Mustang that looks completely stock until you start peeking deep into the corners.

My point here is that anecdotal evidence isn't, and "pretty close to stock" isn't, either. I've no doubt there are scads of 427s around that would dyno at 500HP... but not if they're 100% era-original. Most claims like the one you're referencing end with, "Oh yeah, we ported the heads and tooled them out for 2.14 valves" or "Oh yeah, we used a steel crank with a little more throw" or other "Oh yeahs" that negate "original."

Don't get me wrong, I'd be happy to be proven incorrect here. Name any production engine from the 1960s with more than 1.1 HP per cube *in original, unmodified form* - blueprinted is fine, but not modified. I can't think of a one.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by car4jim

There was a show on Speed channel where they dyno'ed all the big blocks from the 60's. They tested a 427 FE that looked relatively stock. It seems to recall around 500 HP. Anyone see the show that can confirm?

Yes, I saw it and there was a lot of discussion on it afterwards (not so much on the Club Cobra). It was the general consensus that most, if not all, of the engines were "ringers" and were not built truly stock. Especially the hemi.

[FFR428]

Originally Posted by car4jim

There was a show on Speed channel where they dyno'ed all the big blocks from the 60's. They tested a 427 FE that looked relatively stock. It seems to recall around 500 HP. Anyone see the show that can confirm?

Just to add that engine in the shoot out had tunnelport heads and intake which were over the counter parts only. So it can't really be called stock as no production 427 cars came with tunnelport heads/intake from the factory. The Hemi that topped the field as we all know was a ringer.