Comp, S/C, Street 427 BB Engines

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by jconley

What is the difference between the competition, semi-competition and street 427 BB engines used in the CSX 3000 series Shelby Cobras? Is there a good reference (book, web) that describes the differences?

Jeff, you have to think of the "outside" of the engine, and the performance of the engine, coming from the "inside," as two different subjects. From the outside, in a Cobra all FEs look the same -- you can't see the difference between an expensive sideoiler and a bargain basement 390. The only visible differences are going to be the parts you bolt on the top, and for the most part that's just the intake manifold, one or two carbs, and whether you have a Turkey Pan and what valve covers you like. From a performance standpoint, you can easily make any FE outperform, or perform more street-smooth, than any original CSX3xxx engine. If you're going to be driving mostly on the street, then you'll probably want a different engine build than if you're doing serious racing.