So how do you justify putting a Chev in a Ford legend???!!!
 

Before we start I'm not trying to pick a fight??

And I'm not stupid enough to think that the Cobra kit car is(apart from looks) as about related to Ford as my jocks!! But the Cobra is a Ford muscle car icon!! How,and I know there are plent of that you,do you blokes justify putting the arch enemies engine in a Cobra replica????

I know it makes sense!! Beautiful large cube all Ali roller engine!! Comes with a good gearbox!! And rear end!!! Get your donor car and your well on your way!!

But how do you get your head around it!!

Don't get the idea I'm brand bias cos I love any V8!

But I do love my motoring history. And I know it makes good practical and economical sense to run the Chev,but my heart can't do it!!

Or is it just me??

Resale value wise its not a good idea.....you will only get about 1/3rd the value of the car with a Chevy.V8.....

but it realy comes down to.....its your choice.......its your car.......do what you want....

there are a lot of nice cars out there with a Chevy. V8.....not my choice BUT do what you want its your money.

The reason for me is largly as you have answered, it is the smarter choice in Australia.

My background as a mechanic is mainly with Holden, so that also swayed my decission.

The retail value really does not come into it in Australia, but in saying that given a choice of a legal carby fed small block windsor or a legal carby fed 350 chev, I would go the Windsor.

But looking at it from your point (new build and new emissions to meet) then the physical size of the Ford motor also sways alot of peoples choices.
I dont know a great deal but I also think the ecu software is harder to crack?
And more costly to adjust?

Bit different in OZ on the resales. Not as big an issue having a chev I would say.

Become more the norm then the exception now, even in those states where you could scrape in with a ford motor due to emissions. The modern ford motor is nice but big and wont fit in a lot of kits.

Happy with mine, plenty of toe stock. Economical, small and light, probably more like an original cobra donk then the modern ford. Makes a lot of sense, and at the end of the day it is just a hunk of metal - the make (ford, chev) is just a word, and doesnt change what it is.

Cheers.

Yes you are.

I understand your point of view. Most feel that way, but don't want to slam someone else's mistress.

I have seen several Viper V-10s. A Buick turbo charged V-6 (that is pretty fast buy the way). I hear there is a Mopar 426 hemi out there. I actually find these quite interesting. Someone dared to be different.

The small block Chevy gets no points for being different in my book, as they are stuck in everything anywhere you go. A great engine, I understand why some put them in, but not my cup of tea for a Cobra.

In the end, if it is well done and makes the owner happy, more power to them. I support allowing people to make there own choices, and I get a kick out of seeing something different.

I'm just saying.....if it makes you happy......do it.

Mod note:

Please notice that this thread is in the Australian Cobra Club sub-forum.

The OP posted a question in an area where engine choices are more "challenging" than in the US.

Thanks
ron
ClubCobra Moderator

Twig, you are describing the very same "heart and head" decision that I had to make. See all the advice I had and the decision at http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/show...ghlight=engine

I was in QLD so I did have some choice.

If it is an original car I can see the blasphemy.

On a replica, it is never going to be an original, so why worry? Do you have a Salsbury rear? Armstrong shocks? Girling brakes? What brand are your gauges? How many gears are in your trans? What is the name on your fuel pump? Is the body made out of Aluminum? Do you have a 90" wheelbase? Round tube chassis? Is the body an exact copy or just "period correct" or something that might be an MG (or Healy or a Cobra or a ...)? So many places you can go wrong that no one seems to make a fuss about.

If you are trying to build an exact replica, good on you for choosing a Ford engine. If it isn't exact, why stress about where the engine came from? Does it make the car go and put a smile on YOUR face? Do it!

Twig, It really is easy to explain my decision and I was a "dyed in the wool" ford fella.

In my shed I have a 302W flat tappet engine, a 5LtrW roller, and a 351W flat tappet block. So it wasn't a shortage of engines. I had ambitions of building a stroked 351W and using that.

However, to build a 408W or such was going to cost about $20K and I had absolutely no chance of registering with that engine.

Along came Holden with a heap of brand new surplus Gen IV engines at about $10K all up with loom and ECM.

As said previously, all alloy, injected, easily tunable, and with an output close to the 408W with a little extra investment of cash and loved by the authorities..

I justify it by the cost/performance together with a view that the 5Ltr Windsor has no more place in a cobra than does a Chev.

As Boxhead has said, given the freedom I'd use a windsor but the chev has so much going for it for our conditions (read authorities) that it is hard to pass up.

one word - REGO

Computerworks quote:
Now theres an under statement (or would that be a "down under" statement)? :)

It's a no brainer as I see it. Due to the intense legal issues you guys face I'd be happy with ANY motor that would pass certification in a Cobra if I lived there!

Why not a nice AMG mercedes engine. -- ! or a Jag 5.0L, or a DB9 motor. !!

all fun ideas.

Oh someone had to say it, Shelby went to Chev first remember???

Let the slinging match begin (again).

If it wasn't for the fact I found a factory stroked 5ltr windsor (T3 Tickford) then I would have gone down the LS3 route. 5ltrs stock just isn't enough HP.
However, Ford's new 302 quad cammer would be awesome in a cobra. Much smaller than the 5.4 modular.

But he didn't use it.

I had no trouble at all fitting a Chev engine. Technically it's a way better piece than any of the Ford plants available at the time I built mine. I still had the option of putting an EFI Windsor in mine. I even owned a Ford Pursuit 250as my daily driver at the time.

The bang for buck and the fact there was going to be a huge amount of local and US development for this motor were definite pluses for me.

Removing the Windsor motors from the equation because of the emissions compliance lets compare the LS1 to the Boss 260/290 and you've got a motor that out of the crate makes as much or more power and weighs 100KG less.

When you compare The LS1 to what ford Australia have produced for V8's and their various performance options the choice has paid off again.

What's a set of ported heads, aftermarket cams and springs and a custom tun cost for a Boss 260? For mine, a Cam, dual springs, titanium retainers, new stem seals, chrome and molly push rods and HP tuners to dial it all in is about $1500 to $2000. A set of CNC ported heads is about $1500 outright (no changeover required). With just those simple mods you'll have a motor that will make 300KW at the wheels (close to 400KW at the crank).

How many aftermarket manifold options are there for the Boss compared to the LS1? You can now buy 3 or 4 different types of single 4 barrel manifolds a couple of tunnel rams and even a dual quad manifold not to mention several different flavors of 8 throttle body manifolds.

Some say the Chev is an ugly looking motor with all the wires and coils on the rocker covers (me included) but with a bit of work it cleans up very nicely.

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/data/500/LS1a.jpg

Whooo Hooo, I did not say it first this time :)

Whatever floats your boat.

Oh what a feeling......

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/d...IMGP3230-1.JPG