good buy or not??

[cobrashoch]

Kiln - Why fool with the high dollar stuff when junkyard blocks work just as well? A 460/429 of any vintage will accomindate 6 or 7 hundred horsepower if done right and your not risking tearing up a high dollar block. Save that block for a muscle car resoration and don't use it on a Cobra IMHO. If you are skidish about using a stock block there is always main girdles and stud kits (cheap) out there. Also remember that the 4 bolt main block weighs more than a stock block in most (not all) cases. My aluminum headed stock blocked 544 cubed engine weighs in at 540 Lbs. minus the supercharger for example. I know the 4 bolt main block is at least 25 lbs heavier. That don't sound like a lot but on a Cobra every bit counts bigtime in the front of the car. To back up my claims just look at the crate engines Ford is selling. No trick stuff there on the bottom end. Just solid hotrod parts. As for costs, the last time I looked a year ago a 460 SVT iron 4 bolt block cost about 1700$. This is a block that is heavy by 460 standards but can be bored to 4.5 inches or better and indeed is stronger in MANY other respects. Those prices are TOO HIGH for the scarce stock blocks IMHO, though I know that's the going rates.
Chavez64-Welcome to the CC board. Hope your Ford experiences are good ones.( I know they will be) You might try expanding your search to 460/429 stuff to give you some insights to this engine family. As for costs, a lot of that is subjective and this is also affected by your local. Internet pricing tends to be on the high side for some of the scarce stuff and in almost all cases this is unnecessary anyway.
Cobrashock