Tried to post questions...

[RET_COP]

That is not a radical engine. It looks great for street performance on pump gas and had some nice pieces inside. Now if your looking for a mild build and something that is tame, something that maybe your wife can drive Ok then a 350HP combo might be something to your liking. But to say this combo or something over 350HP is not street worthy in a light car is misleading. Everybody is different. Once you get use to say 350HP--and you will--- you'll want more.

[jordanm]

Originally Posted by RET_COP

That is not a radical engine. It looks great for street performance on pump gas and had some nice pieces inside. Now if your looking for a mild build and something that is tame, something that maybe your wife can drive Ok then a 350HP combo might be something to your liking. But to say this combo or something over 350HP is not street worthy in a light car is misleading. Everybody is different. Once you get use to say 350HP--and you will--- you'll want more.

That was the point the shop owner made....said if I went w/ the 345HP I'd eventually want more.

I do trust his knowledge - he had several 289/427/GT-40 builds going on, and his shop is completely full of customer cars.

The Superformance dealer in Irvine also knows him and he comes recommended.

I've just never heard of a "sealed racing engine" before, seemed interesting.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by jordanm

I've just never heard of a "sealed racing engine" before, seemed interesting.

If you're not competing where it's required, then it doesn't mean much. But if you have to do some repairs on your engine, how do you go about "re-sealing" it so that it complies?

[RET_COP]

In racing unless an authorized shop breaks the seal it becomes illegal in the scope of the track rules. Usually your own engine shop will take care of repair but you will pay out of pocket like most builds. I don't know of violation of warranties with this sealed engine if there even is one

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by RET_COP

In racing unless an authorized shop breaks the seal it becomes illegal in the scope of the track rules. Usually your own engine shop will take care of repair but you will pay out of pocket like most builds. I don't know of violation of warranties with this sealed engine if there even is one

Being an FE owner, I can't imagine one ever being sealed because you're always fixing something on it. But, everyone makes mistakes, even on sealed racing engines. See: Ford Racing Claims Responsibility For Finchum Camshaft - RACE22.com

[cycleguy55]

Originally Posted by jordanm

I've just never heard of a "sealed racing engine" before, seemed interesting.

I believe the "sealed racing engine" is for "spec" racing - where everyone has to have the same or equivalent engine. Having them "sealed" by the factory presumably means nobody has tinkered with the innards to get an advantage (e.g. Smokey Yunick).

It sounds great for your use, a bit of a kick but not too radical to drive on a regular basis - even in traffic.

Go for it!

[Mark IV]

Originally Posted by jordanm

That was the point the shop owner made....said if I went w/ the 345HP I'd eventually want more.

I do trust his knowledge - he had several 289/427/GT-40 builds going on, and his shop is completely full of customer cars.

The Superformance dealer in Irvine also knows him and he comes recommended.

I've just never heard of a "sealed racing engine" before, seemed interesting.

The specs on the engine are streetable but you can have a better setup than this. The "sealed" race engines are used in some series where costs are contained and racers are restricted from "tweaking" the spec engine. My point is for less than the $9500 you can have an equal or better small block that is not constrained by the regulations. Note that the HP and torque are well up the rev range as it is a RACE engine and intended to be twisted. Do you want to drive around town at 5500 -6500 RPM to get "right now" performance?

And yes, the "big block" guys always want more power (insert Tim Allen grunt here) but in a MK II more is not necessarily better. 350 is nice, 400 is killer and beyond that you are "dyno racing/d!ck waving"

[jordanm]

yeah, I thought about 400 would be perfect. As long as I don't kill myself with it.

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by jordanm

yeah, I thought about 400 would be perfect. As long as I don't kill myself with it.

200HP is enough to kill you in a Cobra, a low gross weight, coupled with a short 90" wheelbase equals a car like you have never driven before. I know race car drivers with 30 years experience who have come close to wrecking their new Cobra(s). Each one thinking "I know what I'm doing". A Ford 302/345hp crate engine like M-6007-X302B will give you more than enough power to suit all of your needs. Anything more, and you won't enjoy the experience on the street.


Just my two cents worth having owned everything from a 210hp donor build, all the way up to a 347 Stroker with a Vortec T trim putting out 689hp/782ftlbs of torque and everything big and small block in between


Bill S.

[Bernica]

Originally Posted by jordanm

yeah, I thought about 400 would be perfect. As long as I don't kill myself with it.

Hell, as Patrick said you can kill yourself in these cars with 300 hp! Don't get too hung up on that number.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Bernica

Hell, as Patrick said you can kill yourself in these cars with 300 hp! Don't get too hung up on that number.

You know I've got that little zip tie tell-tale tag on my carb that measures how far my secondaries open. I don't think I even opened them last year at all. You can get in quite a lot of trouble just breathing off the primaries.

[Bernica]

Originally Posted by patrickt

You know I've got that little zip tie tell-tale tag on my carb that measures how far my secondaries open. I don't think I even opened them last year at all. You can get in quite a lot of trouble just breathing off the primaries.

HA! That is the truth! I can't even find enough road around me to go WOT with secondaries wide open. Did it in the parking lot at Santa Anita Race track, which is huge, and still ran out of real estate. That's right before I was escorted off the premises by certain authorities.

You really don't need bucking, snorting, nasty manners and will probably enjoy the car a lot more with "moderate" horsepower and a reliable ride. You seem to be on the right track.

[1795]

Originally Posted by patrickt

You know I've got that little zip tie tell-tale tag on my carb that measures how far my secondaries open. I don't think I even opened them last year at all. You can get in quite a lot of trouble just breathing off the primaries.

Ditto,

When I was taking the person who bought my cobra for a test drive and we were doing some hard accelerating I pointed out to him that we were just running on the primaries and that he had better be careful kicking in the secondaries. Rarely ever required the secondaries to pass someone on the highway; just a little blip of the throttle and away you go.

What Mark IV is saying is that, the usable horsepower of your engine will be directly effected by the size of your tire. If you put a rip-snorting engine with 500+ horsepower and torque in a car with skinny tires, every time you step on it you will just spin the tires. If you want a small block with big numbers, you had better consider an FIA instead of a slab side, as you can get wider rubber in the rear. If you are looking for a fun daily driver, then go with the slab side and an engine that the tires can manage. Enjoy your ride.