Let's talk engines...

[fkemmerer]

Originally Posted by RAO-3

Am I wearing you guys down yet?

Looking around at the member's galleries, it would seem that every single cobra has a different engine.

When you first built/bought your cobra, did you install your 1st choice engine, or did you start out with some other engine that you either plan to replace, or have already replaced? In making your selection did you give any thought to the original cobra? I noted that some vendors kits seem to have more non-original engines than others.

What engine did you pick and why?

Who did you have build it, and were you happy with the result? If you had it to do over again, would you go with the same engine and builder; if not what would you have done differently.

Ray

Ray,

I had Keith Craft build an aluminum 482 ci FE for my ERA. Went with stack fuel injection also.



I wanted the authenticty (and torque) of a big block FE without the weight. This is why I went with an aluminum block and cyclinder heads. We've built two street engines with EFI now and I don't think I would build another one with a carb. EFI can make even radical combinations work great on the street. The picture below is the first EFI motor that we built for the street.



Both of these motors make north of 600 ft-lbs of torque and 600 hp on pump gas. I do not have the FE motor in my cobra yet but if the blown and injected motor shown above is any indication, it will be very streetable, start and idle well (even in cold weather), and will produce gobs of power when its called upon to do so.

Keith Craft is a good builder and I would recommend you speak with him about whatever you decide upon for a motor.

- Fred