Do You Think Having A Non-Ford Engine Is Wrong ?

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I built a 59' Coupe DeVille & put a BBC in it. Got flack for it but, I loved it. It was everything I wanted for that car.
In the spirit of the Cobra, & I suppose it depends on how the snake strikes you, It's tough to imagine wanting one with anything other than the motor that it was mated with in the 60's. What I mean by this is that, Ford motors have their own sound & feel. I distinctly remember the first Cobra I saw in person. It was an amazing looking little car but, when it fired up it just had this wicked growl to it. Something no Chevy I had ever heard, could replicate. So, its the whole package deal for me. When I was building up my FIA, I happened to have the pleasure of witnessing the same with Lynn Park's FIA. So, Webers it had to be. These cars were iconic. In part, because of circumstance. But, circumstance made them what the are. & what they are is not a chevy or, a mopar or even a ferrari or jag.
If Chevy is your thing, go for it. but, I think you'll be missing out on something special. That's just me.

[decooney]

For replicas it's a "preference" and "resale" kinda thing, IMO. A number of friends in my area ran Chevy motors in their Cobras but got razzed a bit by the regular crowd walking by at a car show. So, leave the hood shut and just drive it. Who cares, just run what you like if it's not an all original 60s Cobra. For my car, I was going for the whole SC theme, so it has the right FE in it, and I love the sound of an FE, no Chevy sounds like it. At heart, I'm a Chevy guy, but really like the FE in a big block Cobra for running around locally. Now for long trips, not so much. Functionally, there may be better motors for long trips or more regular daily driving - so it kinda depends on how you are using the car a another aspect of what motor "to put in it" and there will be varying opinions just like there are different preferences for driving daily driver cars. Some people just go with what they are familiar with as an option for choosing.

Its always fun to read up on who Shelby approached first for engines before he went to Ford, (Chevrolet ???) and how Ron Butler who worked on Shelby's crew settled on Chevy engines for the majority of his Butler Cobra builds. Many Chevy's in Butler/Arntz cars, and it's signature to those cars and their history. I have to agree, as much as we see Peter Brock driving his Red SPF Coupe all over the place like he does...getting great use out of the car how he does, the LS motor makes a lot of sense, light, fast, reliable, easy parts LS motors, sure, why not, it's a replica. Great idea, smart guy.