Cheap used engines

[MT nester]

I have been looking at beat up work vans for an engine when I build my Cobra.
That will be august 2009
There are several full size vans on craigslist in Tucson and Phoenix.
750$ for a '94 Ford W/ 351EFI & O'drive auto.
There are buncha' Dodges W/ EFI 360's.
How would that be, a Chrysler engine in my Cobra.
I am not seeing the importance of the whole "correct" thing.

Wasn't the Cobra kinda' rigged up outta' a buncha' parts from allover the place and some tubing?
Carrol Shelby has put his name on many marquis over the years.
I had a Shelby model Dodge Charger (the little FWD one)
I bet the only reason Carrol used a Ford motor is because he got a good deal from them.

I am going to build my Cobra from scratch,out of whatever I can find cheap... And then drive the hell out of it. EVERYDAY!!
I think THAT is the whole point of Carrol Shelby's greatest creation!!
How about a T-C AWD 2.0 L. Mitsubishi drivetrain in my cobra??

[1985 CCX]

Ford Big Block - Tuff Dawg Engines

[Anthony]

get a chevy truck 350.

[427mudflap]

Ok, how about a 6 cylinder 235 out of a 1954 Chevy.
That would be different

[slithering]

Hey fish,

You build it the way you want! That's why they call them "kit cars". Thanks for your service!

Chris

[decooney]

Originally Posted by MT nester

How about a T-C AWD 2.0 L. Mitsubishi drivetrain in my cobra??

Yeah, there ya go. No need for correctness or sound. Maybe a nice snorkel hood too. Go for it! Post a picture when it's done.

[Venamm]

how about a Yugo or parts from a Russian Skoda?....

[gt500bill]

YouTube - Peel P50 original advertisement

...........or from one of these PEEL P50

[decooney]

Or, if junkyard motor cheap is the goal, how about your local boat salvage yard for this V8 revver...

2 Stroke V8 for Your Cobra

[Rick Parker]

You should be able to find a usable core motor (regardless of CID) for no more than $300. Try Pick n Pull.

[MT nester]

Thanks for your replies..You guys are all funny, A sense of humor is what makes the world go around
But seriously.
What do you suppose all the Ferrari and Mercedes and porsche and ect. said, back in the day.... the first time they heard about what that crazy american was building to compete against them...
I prefer the sound of a rowdy V-8 over anything else.
My wifes ford minivan makes 195 hp W/ 3.8 V-6
Carrol shelby puts his name on a Mustang W/ 300HP SC 3.8!!

[Jim Zagg]

Tim, Hot Rod Magazine did a series of Junkyard Jewel articles. The one they did about the 351W would be right up your alley. I have seen other articles in Car Craft magazine. If I were you I would look For some GT40P heads and put them on a 351W and just change the cam and put on a good intake. The heads will add compression and improve airflow.If you can't find any send me a PM. I know where to get new BARE heads at a good price. Just don't go too big on the cam.

[diegokid]

There are a lot of good deals to be found in junkyards. I acquired 5 FE motors for no more than an average of $30.00 each. Three blocks are good standard bore, one is bored .040 over and one will need sleeving. Along the way it has given me a lot of info and all the brakets I will ever need for an FE motor. Knowing me I may wake up tomorrow and just buy the first from SA.

Something a lot of guys on these websites hate to admit is the fact that CS wanted to use Chevy engines in the first place, they turned him down because they didn't want him competing against the Vettes, an error on their part in hindsight. I do know of a Unigue SC 427 with a Chevy 427 powerplant that seems to outrun many FE motors though, funny how that works.

[blykins]

It always cracks me up when I hear, "CS wanted to use Chevy engines in the first place."

That makes not one hill of beans difference. Why? Because no Shelby Cobra had a Chevy engine in it when it was all said and done.

If you're building a replica of a Cobra, it needs to have the engine that the original Cobras had in them. It doesn't matter if CS considered Ferrari, it doesn't matter if he considered Buick. What does matter is what they rolled off the line with in the end.

Sure, it's your car, you can do with it what you want. But when you go to sell it someday and you find out that a Cobra with a Chevy engine in it is worth as much as a Cobra with no engine in it, then you'll forget that CS considered using a Chevy engine.

There are replicas and there are hot rods. If you're into hot rods, then just go with the cookie cutter cars and put a cookie cutter 350SBC in it with a cookie cutter 350TH. Put a big honkin wing on the back too while you're at it. Make sure you chrome everything on the car and paint flames on it too.

BTW, an FE can be several different sizes. Just because the BBC outran another Cobra with an FE in it doesn't mean anything at all. What if that Cobra had a 352? What if it had a 361? That statement didn't have any logic in it whatsoever. That's like saying my Cobra with a 408ci SBF out runs all the SBC Cobras around here.....oh by the way, I forgot to tell you that all those SBC Cobras have 265's in them. Funny how that works, isn't it?

[427 S/O]

How about waiting for a S/O, then you will need for nothing else..........

[Dangerous Doug]

Check craigslist classifieds: jobs, housing, personals, for sale, services, community, events, forums. You're sure to find a good core for $300-$500 depending upon the displacement.

DD

[MT nester]

the good OLD side oiler..
What was so good about that thing??
What makes it different from a FE?
Let me guess...it oils from the side??

[Karl Bebout]

Blykins, If as you say "If you're building a replica of a Cobra, it needs to have the engine that the original Cobras had in them", anyone that doesn't have a 260, 289, 427, or 428 should not have bothered to have their replica (kit car) to enjoy. You certainly are entitled to your opinion, but there's gotta be a whole lotta folks that are bound to disagree since the huge majority of replicas won't be powered by any of those engines. You do what you want with your car, if you get one, and I'll do what I want with mine.

[blykins]

Yep, you are certainly entitled to your opinion. And I told you mine.

I'm not totally off to one side on this one though. I could see an owner of a 289 Cobra installing a 331/347 stroker kit if they were available back then....possibly throwing in a short deck aluminum 351W block if he's racing....or a 427 guy putting a 428 crank in his S/O block, etc. But I don't see a 427 guy back then pulling out his S/O to put in a 396BBC.

[MT nester]

I think this is a ton of fun
I believe the heart of hotrodding is to build what you like and GO FAST!
My finances and concience require that I build mine cheap.
I enjoy the challenge of figuring out how to build something "on the cheap"
BUT BUT BUT
only if it works good and looks good....well works good at least.
The only reason I am even spending the money to put on a Body at all is because you guys would not let me cruise with you if I had no body at all.