Spare engine

[BOURRET]

After 2 full years of amateur drag racing seasons, I came to the obvious conclusion that it is difficult to make a complete championship with just one engine and to use the car on the road for more than 10 000 miles every year. So, I decided to order a brand new engine ( a crate 514 alu FE from Keith Craft) that will replace periodically my actual 482 alu FE: while using one of the engine, the second one will be reconditionned or rebuilt.

[Clois Harlan]

Queenie,

You have got to be some kind of dedicated racer! Congrats on your choice of engine builders because I think Keith is one of the best. 10,000 miles of racing on an FE is incrediable. I made it 4000 miles a few years ago and felt like I had won the lottery with it's longivity.

Are we going to see you in October at Run n Gun this year?

Clois

[Buzz]

Queenie, you go girl! You will have to tell us about the differences in feel and actual performance between the FE and the big 514. What times are you running now with the FE? Please tell us more about you and your car. It would be great to hear some of your racing stories - what cars you race against in France and how well the Cobra does against the competition!
I can understand your choice to go with the 385 series engine as a racing spare but I also wonder about the difficulties involved switching from one to the other - different headers for example. Will the bellhousing and engine mounts all line up the same?

[BOURRET]

Originally Posted by Buzz

Queenie, you go girl! You will have to tell us about the differences in feel and actual performance between the FE and the big 514. What times are you running now with the FE? Please tell us more about you and your car. It would be great to hear some of your racing stories - what cars you race against in France and how well the Cobra does against the competition!
I can understand your choice to go with the 385 series engine as a racing spare but I also wonder about the difficulties involved switching from one to the other - different headers for example. Will the bellhousing and engine mounts all line up the same?

The mounts will be the same: the "big" engine has the same external geometry as the 427.
I shall use different headers with bigger exhausts (2 inches for the primary tubes). This will require home made exhaust with a big collector pipe.
With my actual 482 I can run under the low 11s (the chassis is stock RAM) but in France, I am restricted to a class of 13 sec because I do not want to put an ugly full cage on my car. So, the only way for my opponents to win is to get me disqualified because I break the 13s index.
The cars in my category are Mustangs (with cages and NOS), Camaro (NOS), Vettes .Also some very hot WV that have only the VW body. Except for the Vettes, most of them goes to the track on a trailer but I always go by the road since I run in a class called "street car" and I think this is a non-sense to go to track on a trailer when you call yourself a street car...
The new big one will be installed this fall-winter 2008. So I shall tell you about the performances in 2009 but already when correctly tuned, my 482 is great performances.

[BOURRET]

Originally Posted by Clois Harlan

Queenie,

You have got to be some kind of dedicated racer! Congrats on your choice of engine builders because I think Keith is one of the best. 10,000 miles of racing on an FE is incrediable. I made it 4000 miles a few years ago and felt like I had won the lottery with it's longivity.

Are we going to see you in October at Run n Gun this year?

Clois

I think I made lot of mileages with a high performance engine. Maybe it is a record??? My longuest road trip was Paris to Poland for a drag race in 2007. And I have to suffer the traffic jams of the city of Paris before being on a highway. I told the builder how much I was happy with its 482 alu FE.
My 482 short block was already from the same builder. But a leak (porosity)developped on the old FE intake manifold (C3AE 9425H)that we put on the short block FE 482 . This porosity did not affected the performances but made the car not practical for use on the road because of coolant consumption.
This old intake manifold was coming from my previous 427; It was put on the 482 because I loved the look of the two four barrels set up. Unfortunately, I could not replace it quickly with a similar good one that would fit under my hood.
Going to the states in October will depend upon another competitions programm. My husband is doing Radio-Command pylon racing and I am his mechanic for that. But if I do not go in 2008, it will be in 2009 providing there are still low cost airplane tickets for pilots in the company.

[Clois Harlan]

Good to hear you and your family are are staying busy with motor sports. RC airplanes are very popular here too! Good luck to both of you in your competition events. Maybe we will see you soon.

Clois

[FUNFER2]

To Queenie and all others.
As stated by Buzz, I'm curious about the difference between my FE and the 514. If or when, I blow up mine, the price, sound and Hp/torque of building another one or the 514, would take a lot of thinking.

It's great having what was used in the Cobra and I love the sound but, wither buying the crate 514 with 630 HP and a warranty for under 10k, or Keith's is very hard the beat !

Speaking of that, what is the difference between the crate from Ford and Keith's ? Price, HP/torque, heads ect,........?

I would appreciate a discussion about this matter. I don't want to take over this thread regarding these questions. Should I start a new thread ?

Thanks,
Kevin

[lovehamr]

Kevin, I'm pretty sure she means the stroker FE not a 385 series 429/460 variant.

Originally Posted by BOURRET

( a crate 514 alu FE from Keith Craft)

Steve

[BOURRET]

Originally Posted by lovehamr

Kevin, I'm pretty sure she means the stroker FE not a 385 series 429/460 variant.



Steve

Yes, this is a stroker FE alu block: 4.35 X 4.35

[RedBarchetta]

Originally Posted by BOURRET

My longest road trip was Paris to Poland for a drag race in 2007.

I love it! Fire up Cobra...Drive from France to Poland for a match race...Kick some ass...Drive home. That's awesome!

[FUNFER2]

"I decided to order a brand new engine ( a crate 514 alu FE from Keith Craft) that will replace periodically my actual 482 alu FE"

Ok, so your cubic in., comes out as 514 FE,..and not, a bored out 429/460 ?
I guess I did not realize, that even the new alum. FE could be stretched out to 514. I think the 482 cu. is the biggest I've heard. Could you email me the stats on this motor from Keith ? I would appreciate your time.


RedBarchetta-great pic ! You shouldn't pic on a poor VW !!!
Tell me about your motor.

[Keithc8]

The combination that she is referring to is a 4.3750 stroke and a 4.3750 bore for 527C.I. engine. This is done by using a big bore Shelby aluminum block with one of our new 4.375 forged 4340 steel cranks. Makes for a pretty wild FE pump gas engine. We do the FE engine in a 482, 489, 496, 510 and 527 cubic inches depending on what the customer wants. Thanks, Keith

[Buzz]

I too,thought Queenie was getting a 460-based 514 which is why I asked about the differences. I guess I just didn't read her first post well enough to see the "FE" part next to the 514. So its a huge FE stroker - even more awesome!!

Queenie, you are one incredible lady! You and your hubby seem to be enjoying life and each other and that is what it is all about. I'm sure many of us would love to hear more about your racing and touring adventures in the Cobra.

PS; Kevin, the pic in RedBarchetta's post is from Queenie's gallery and shows her tearing up the strip at Chambley in France.