390 FE Edelbrock Power Package
 

I built, pickled and stored an 030 over 390 FE over 30 years ago, and am considering pulling it out of storage and building a Cobra replica around it. I was shooting for 10:1 compression with stock heads, and I "believe" I put middle of the road quality parts in it, but didn't keep records.

Most advice I see online is to stroke the 390 for power, but am wondering if I could just put an Edelbrock Power Package on it, and build a Cobra replica around it. (Performer RPM heads, intake and cam)

I'm not looking for ultimate performance, but I am fairly sure it would make good power, while looking and sounding "right" with a 427 SC bodied replica.

Has anyone already done this? What was it like?

Also, what kind of cfm should the carb be? 750/850?

You are correct in that it will make great power and torque; more than enough to get you killed in a Cobra. Probably around 400 hp and 450 lb-ft.

If you already have a 390, a top end upgrade would be a great and less expensive way to go.

The con here is that I've tried to put similar packages together for Cobra guys and never got a nibble.... That may be a function of horsepower or it may be a function of foreseeable resale value.

Edelbrock's package is a "universal" package, meant for 390's, 428's, etc. I offer similar packages that would be more custom tailored to a 390 in a Cobra.

A 750 mechanical secondary carb would probably be just about perfect.

When I was looking to buy a well equipped Cobra a while back one of the "experts" told me that because it had a 390 in it, it was likely done "on the cheap". I'm glad I ignored that comment/advice. The Cobra was FAR from a cheap build and the 390 sounded completely awesome and it went like stink. The car was/is excellent. You can make a great 390 based motor, but for some reason there will always be a collection of people who think it has a farm truck motor in it.

You have piqued my interest, sir.

Will give you a yell when I'm ready for motorvating.

If you want the right sound, a solid lifter cam adds much authenticity.

The engine is out of a 1964 Mercury Monterey. I'm "pretty" sure it's solid lifters as it sits, but it was a long time and quite a few engines ago.

I'll be flying to my mom's house during the week of the 22nd, and will take a look at it then.

My build passed spousal approval today, so squirrel nut gathering can commence, provided I pass my upcoming physical for the new big money job.

Interesting about the solid lifters. I bought my car used and the builder originally put a Hyd 600 lift cam in it. He wanted the sound so he switched it out for a solid cam for the "noise effect". With the exhaust you cannot tell the difference at all between the the two cams. This year I was running the car around without the tunnel due to repair work and that is the first time I could actually here the lifters along with a bunch of other noises mixed it... sounds terrible, cant wait to re-installed the tunnel.

As far as carb choice, yes, a 750 would be best.
I have two of them I just put up for sale on Craigslist if you have any interest.

USED: Holley 750 Double pumper with Vacuum secondaries
Holley Carbs

NEW: Davinci Holley 750HP with Mechanical Secondaries
Davinci 750 HP Holley Carb/Brand New

Good luck and congratulations on building your Cobra. What kit are you going to use? I will vouch for ERA if you want a great riding quality car and AWESOME customer service.
Dave

That is, more or less, what I have....with a few more exotic componants, about 10.5 to 1, It runs well, makes great, practical power,
I run a Quickfuel SS 780 and am very pleased with it as well, all in all, could'nt be happier.

The more I read about hydraulic vs. solids, the better hydraulics seem. The question seems to be, how PITA are keeping solids in adjustment versus how much performance do you really give up with hydraulics? I have time before I need to decide, though.

You know, I hadn't really thought through the FE. I was fantasy planning a small block Cobra when I got orders to deploy to Afghanistan last week, which come with sufficient income to buy the fantasy Cobra, so now I'm playing catch up in my mind. Then I got spousal approval. It also puts my build off by a year, unfortunately.

I've narrowed my choices down to FF, ERA or Hurricane, but Hurricane is currently in front because I have an "in" with the company, plus they are local to me. In addition I like the lines of their body.

I'd forgotten about the 390, partly because I had a TBI in '99 which means I do stuff like that, plus my dad passed away in 2014, and mom hadn't opened up his long term storage until now. Suddenly, I realize I have a shed load (literally) of early 390 and 352 FE parts. Both my grandpa and my dad owned FE powered cars from 1958 until 1970, and never got rid of anything.

I fly back to the US from Germany in a week, and after I tie up things in DC, will fly out to Iowa and crack open the barn to see what's what.

OK, as I research, I realize I have more to learn.

Just doing a casual online search (amazing the difference between pre-internet and post-internet engine builds) I may need to deal with lifter lubrication issues either way, as they hydraulic lifters evidently have an oil passage drilled in the block. Don't know/remember if mine has that.

Also, I hear a rumor that the expansion tank needs to be different on a Cobra and those are $$$. I'm sure there will be more surprises....

I totally agree with both of these comments, and they also make me shake my head- It is an unfortunate truth that someone will denigrate a car over the number of cubic inches the engine displaces, when from the outside, a 390 is visually indistinguishable from a 427.

A smartly built 390, using today's aluminum heads and better cam technology, delivers you an engine that makes just as much power (or more) as the dual-carb 428's that Shelby was putting in street Cobra's in the late 60's, and it will burn less fuel, to boot (not that we care about such things... ;) )

I say use what you've got - You won't be disappointed.


If your engine is an original solid lifter engine, then it is probably easiest to just leave it in solid lifter configuration. If it was/is a later FE designed for a hydraulic cam, then you can go either way...

IMHO, the sound factor with solid lifter engines is really only a factor when the engine is cold - a fully warmed up solid cam engine sounds no different to a casual ear, than an equivalent hydraulic cam engine with the same amount of valve overlap (pro engine builders might be able to tell the difference, but who are you trying to impress?).

Just keep the lobe separation angle on your cam nice and tight (112 degrees or less) and the duration above 230 degrees at .050, and your engine will have a nice, choppy lope at idle...even if it's hydraulic.

The expansion tank question is simply a matter of how "original and authentic looking" you want the car to be. For pure functionality, you could use an aftermarket expansion tank without any worries...

The solid lifter cam in my car is loud, and is a signature noise of the 60's. It's all about nostalgia to me. Boils down to personal preference. Most of us have some hearing loss, I can't hear some pitches. I check the lash about once a year, not a big deal. Same reason it's carbed, 15" wheels etc. Not better, cooler. Make your car your own.

Yep, you can always tell when there's a solid camshaft in the engine. Doesn't matter if the engine is cold or hot. If your hydraulic cam'd engine sounds like that, you have issues.

Listen to Blykens. He know from where he speaks. I have built a couple of FE's and find that the hydraulic roller serves best and sounds wonderful..

I have an update: I'm still hung up in DC, but my brother is going through the car parts shed from Hell and thinks the 390 got put into a 1970 Mercury a few years back. I still have a complete unrebuilt 390 and a couple 352s as well as assorted pieces parts hanging around, so now I am rethinking the whole thing.

I may end up going back to my SBF concept, but my interest has been piqued about rebuilding an FE now.

"Done on the cheap" and "the car was excellent" aren't mutually exclusive phrases. There are alot of wonderful Cobras that are completed on a tight budget.

Having said that, if I were looking at another Cobra and the Cobra had a 390 in it, then I'd have to investigate what else was performed "on a budget" as a part of my due diligence. All things being equal, I'd prefer to buy a used 'spared no expense" type Cobra, assuming it was built properly and met my budget expectations.

It's not unusual for a Cobra buyer to install a 390 and have budget limitations elsewhere too (e.g., bolt-on wheels, live rear diff, etc.). But that Cobra may still be an excellent car.

If I had "a complete unrebuilt 390 and a couple 352s" the decision would be easy - forget the SBF and build the Cobra around the FE. You could always do a basic rebuild / refresh on any of those and use them for a while "as is" and I'm sure they'd provide plenty of thrills. If you decide you want more you can always install a stroker kit later and build yourself something bigger / better / faster - now or later.

I thought all DPs were mechanical secondaries. Is this a DP that's been converted to vacuum secondaries? Some mysterious carb I've never heard of?

No, it is stock and definitely not the first one I have seen. Here is one from a quick Google search:
https://www.holley.com/products/fuel...arts/0-80529-1

That's kind of a botched up Holley ad. It advertises vacuum secondaries with dual accelerator pumps but when you click on the video in the ad, it's for a mechanical secondary carb. The ad photo appears to show a loose vacuum can lid just sitting behind the carb - ??? I can't see how dual accelerator pumps could work with vacuum secondaries - vacuum secondary carbs don't have mechanical linkage to open the secondaries, which in turn is necessary to operate the accelerator pump.