Can anyone who has this engine in their Cobra comment on what the engine is like to live with? How streetable is it? Pros and Cons would be appreciated.
The Ford SVOs are all "mild" in compression/manners..
They use cubic inches to obtain high horsepower...in fact, the 514 (the biggest) has the lowest compression...from what I hear, they all are tractable and usable on the street...you just have to be easy off the line and watch out for those power shifts in the corners!
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James Madison, father of the Constitution, said, "If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy." He also said, "No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare..."
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joea, I Run a 460/485 hp in SPF #923 That has 7000mi in 2 yrs of driving and have nothing but praise with the way this engine will idle in stop/go traffic for hours with out overheating,cruise the intersate at 80 plus mph with the sound from the pipes only a big block will give you,but the best is standing on it in second and third gear watching the sepdo pass100 mph in 10 sec.
Just right for me!
I run a 460 with approx 600 Hp all around town and highway...I have 21,000 miles on my Cobra and it runs like a top....I have a Richmond 5 speed and a 3.0 rear and it is very streetable.....The 460 is a bulletproof motor also very reliable....that my 2c....
I hear the 460 doesn't fit so nice in some of the kits. Unique is one I am pretty interested in an I have read that they don't recommend it due to size. It requires some pretty significant modifications to the kit. I'm interested in this motor because you get much more bang for the buck compared to the FE blocks that are available.
Like BiB..I run my motor in a West Coast Cobra....It looks a little different than some of the others...but it is one of the best engineered and sure does draw the attention....This car was designed for the 460 and has many features that are better than most kits out there...again that's my 2c
I thought about using the 460/535 HP crate motor, but decided on something a bit more radical (and durable). Streetable? Not sure, as it isn't complete yet.
I'm going with a Flatlander Racing 532 short block with cast steel crank, H-beam rods and forged pistons; Blue Thunder heads, and a special grind cam from Comp Cams.
Total cost will not be much more than a Ford crate motor, but with a lot more HP.
Is there a website for Flatlander? Keep us posted about your motor...many of us out here are interested in good rebuild shops..!
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James Madison, father of the Constitution, said, "If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy." He also said, "No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://www.standdown.net/index.htm
I have the 460/535 HP crate motor in SPF #343 backed by a Tremec TKO, runs great in all situations great on the road in fifth and all the power you could ask for in a street car. On the track it is a terrific combination that allows you all the fun and performance you want for once in while track events ( I only had it at one SAAC open track weekend). I have also driven a Ford 351 stroker crate motor and a custom built 351 SPF and those cars are a delight to drive. The difference is the low end torque....the owner of the SPF 392 stroker car and I swapped cars (Kept our respective wives with us) and his driving impression of the 460 was that there was significantly more power off the line and throughout the normal driving band ie: local access roads and pulling on to the freeway and driving down the road in fifth.
I also have a stroked 427 in my Unique that has as much if not more power than the 460 in my SPF. There is not enough room in the Unique for the 460....don't even think about it. The 427 is way more expensive than the 460 2x or more, you would be better served to look at the 351 crate motors if cost is a factor.
The M6007D392 is under rated by Ford at 430 HP. The Ford car magazines have dynoed that engine at 470 -510 HP consistently with a good torque curve. Go to the web link above and look at the information available from Mustang & Fast Fords and the Ford 5 litre performance magazines. A little research will yield a huge amount of information for you to make a value decision.
For serious racing a truly custom built aluminum 460 or a fire breathing 351 are better choices. This is not an attempt to reinvigorate the BB/SB argument....To each their own.
I have a 460 in my Superformance. I have about 25,000 miles and find it very easy and forgiving engine. With the TKO at highway speeds rpm range from 2000-2200. I would guess the 460 is a good choice for a BB at a reasonable price. I would also check out the 514 engine size with 600 ponies.
Based upon responses to my query in "Usable HP & torque in a daily driver", the 460 engine properly set up will be not too much hp and torque for daily driving. Besides money, one of the issues is your preference for a bb or a sb stroked and set up to have the same hp and torque. I plan to go the sb route but a bb is also more impressive to for others to look at and admire. How do you plan to use the engine? Do you mind the extra weight up front? If not, go for it.
Can someone tell me about how much they are spending to get these 460s together?
What is the best place to get them? The West Coast brochure has some very good (I think) prices for crate 460 from Ford. Since I am peobably going with WCC, I figure might as well get the drivetrain installed and save all the building fun for the interior.
I bought mine from Demner Ford in the Detroit area...
I don't have their phone number handy, but Vern Redel of WCC can give it to you...the cost for the 514 was $7150...with Vern picking it up...delivery is likely 200 to 300 bucks, truck delivery, depending on your locale.
The 460 version will be considerably less. Ask Demner, they have the best prices I could find...realize that if you buy from a local Ford dealer (any of them can sell you one) that you will then also pay state sales tax on the motor.
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James Madison, father of the Constitution, said, "If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy." He also said, "No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://www.standdown.net/index.htm
BiB, Good point about the sales tax. It will probably be best to just have West Coast take delivery and install the engine before I get the car shipped out to me.
That engine of yours sounds like it's going to be a real screamer!
I'm planning on an AT, and I don't know if it is wise to for me to get too radical. But at those prices, I may just have to go for the gusto. Seems like a very reasonable amount for all that power.
I am looking forward to hearing your impressions when you finally get the car!
Congratulations...if all goes well, I'll be ordering at the end of the year. I want to do the finishing "myself" however. I put myself in quotes because I will be farming out the bodywork and paint, but I will be doing the interior at home.
I am also very interested in your hardtop situation, since Miami is semi-tropical, the summer is a dangerous time to go out without a top on, and usually 90 plus degrees, so I would need to have a hardtop on from May to October and have A/C in order to be able to drive during those months.
Yeah yeah I know...a Cobra with A/C..... I am a heathen...blah blah blah... IT'S MY COBRA and I'll do what I want.
Good idea to have the engine picked up and installed at the factory...will save money, but realize up front that WCC is a small business, and things go slowly there...
I will have a 6 speed Richmond Overdrive tranny with the latest Centerforce 2 hydraulic clutch system... with an automatic you MAY (or may not) need some sort of vacuum booster system...I think this is something you could add later if you have off the line/idle vacuum problems...you may not need this tho.
Sounds like you have the right attitude to own a West Coast ...my motto is "Do thine own thing". and "accellerate unto others before they accellerate unto you".
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ASPMAN:
The standard recommended carb for the 514 was a Dominator 1050 cfm...with the Victor Jr. intake (I have a Torker 2 high polish now)
Of course I have the Holley throttle body EFI setup on my motor, but I may have to take the car with a carb in place of the throttle body, and find someone local to do the software tuning required to get the EFI on track...hopefully someday someone will come up with a package deal on a good EFI system for the 460 ...I could not find a single complete system excepting for the Holley. I would have preferred the weber look systems, but could not find a complete system rated for this cubic inch/horsepower motor.
__________________
James Madison, father of the Constitution, said, "If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy." He also said, "No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://www.standdown.net/index.htm
Well, I don't know what the weight distribution was for an original Cobra big block, but I would think the longer wheelbase and wider track will result in better handling.
Now, since I have no idea how the original handled, "better" is a relative term and at this point only speculative. Perhaps some one who has actually driven a big block Cobra on the twisties can comment.
I have a feeling that I'll only be able to comment after I've built my own and driven it. I don't know anyone who would allow someone to test thier car at or near the limits, be it a Cobra or anything else!
I can't wait to see what three days at the Skip Barber Racing School really taught me! BTW....I can't imagine a better place to learn how to drive! Those Formula cars are so twitchy that even a moment's hesitation and you're in a spin!
The WCC is a (almost) completely redesigned machine
It is designed to have a 50/50 balance with the IRON head BB motors...so the handling is excellent... the WCC has a rigid tubular tig welded spaceframe which makes a big difference by itself...(pic of my finished spaceframe in my photo gallery) The front end has been lowered a bit to improve/increase higher top end speed (aerodynamics)
The real handling variables are:
* Tires...low profile make a BIG (positive) difference in handling, but make the ride more harsh
* The optional WCC suspension upgrade...I have this included...with the optional Carrera coil overs as well...
If you install a SB motor in a WCC, it will be off balance...front end light...which will cause some level of oversteer...I have no idea how much tho
__________________
James Madison, father of the Constitution, said, "If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy." He also said, "No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://www.standdown.net/index.htm
460 SVO Crate motor
The Ford SVOs are all "mild" in compression/manners..
Venom S..?
Hybrid Mode
